How could you make it to the top of the top 1%

If you defining 1% by money - and you are talking about tech - you have to start a company or be early at a company, where your $100K of stock turns into $10M of stock. People who make top 0.1% money in tech reliably are people who are already in that bucket. People who start companies mostly fail though because they aren't qualified and have a random idea and cross their fingers for luck. So most successful companies (in number, not cash outcome) are people who have been in tech already and were maybe not top 0.1% but were say top 10% for a while. So that brings you to the "join company early and get lucky" bucket. If you want to do that, look for Series A through Series C companies that are worth under $1B that have product market fit, revenue, and a strong leadership team, and a feeling like they can be an Uber, AirBnB, sized company. It's easier said then done because these often have a HIGHER BAR than FAANG companies and are looking for senior people, but if you can find your way into one as an entry level, it could be the one. If you want to get there in terms of skill? Time + Talent. You won't be a top 1% without some kind of natural smarts or talents. So if you have that (knowing you have it might be harder, but assuming you have it and know it) put in the time to become a domain expert in something that people deem important and be the best in the world in that thing. At Facebook, I became the best code cleanup-er in the company and the highest raw output employee. I'm smart but many are smart, not top 0.1%, but I found my area that I was uniquely good at and was rewarded for it.