300 million in assets and 7.51 million in annual dividends! A man who became a “billionaire” by investing all his retirement money talks about “The Realities After FIRE”.

With total assets exceeding 300 million yen and an astonishing annual dividend of 7.51 million yen, Pelican, a master of dividend stock investing, has successfully achieved FIRE (financial independence)—a dream for any investor.

While cleverly covering daily meals and living expenses with countless shareholder perks, he now says, “Money only has value when it’s turned into experiences you can have now and memories.” He enjoys a real FIRE lifestyle that pursues not only financial abundance but also richness of the heart, through family trips and luxurious dining without necessarily using perks.

How exactly did he achieve such a dreamlike lifestyle?

In this feature, we directly interviewed Pelican to uncover everything—from the regret-free ways to spend money that changed his life to how he identifies the treasure stocks that continue to support his stable lifestyle. We also got him to talk extensively about the stocks to watch this March as fiscal year-end approaches.

Investing His Entire Retirement to Become a Centimillionaire

In 2019, Pelican retired from his company. At that time, he had not yet considered FIRE or becoming a full-time investor, but unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic struck right after his retirement.

“I had about 2 million yen in annual dividend income, and my living expenses were significantly reduced thanks to shareholder perks. With unemployment benefits, I could have lived for about six months, so I thought I could use that time to consider a career change or start a business. But then COVID-19 completely changed the world. Career changes or starting a business weren’t an option.

Seeing stock prices plummet during the COVID shock, I decided to live off dividends. I invested every bit of cash and my retirement money to buy as many plummeting bank and trading company stocks as I could. As the stock market recovered, my assets grew, and by 2020 I became a centimillionaire.”

Buying stocks with his retirement funds during the COVID shock was not something anyone could easily do. His prior experiences surviving historical crashes like the IT bubble collapse and the Lehman Shock clearly informed this decisive move.

It’s remarkable that what would normally shake anyone’s financial foundation—Nintendo stock averaging-down failures and the COVID shock after retirement—ended up improving his life.

300 Million Yen in Assets! Regret-Free Ways to Spend Money

Currently, his financial assets exceed 300 million yen, and he holds over 400 stocks. His annual dividend in 2025 was 7.51 million yen, and his 2026 expected dividend is about 8.5 million yen. What kind of lifestyle does he lead as a full-time investor?

“My family receives many shareholder perks, which really helps with groceries and daily necessities. We often eat out using meal vouchers, but going to the same places repeatedly led to some complaints from my family (laughs).

However, after being influenced by the book ‘Die With Zero,’ my approach to money changed.”

This book, by American entrepreneur Bill Perkins, has been a bestseller in Japan. Its title means “die with zero,” focusing on how to fully use your money. It encourages pursuing a truly rich life, beyond financial wealth alone.

“Until now, I focused on saving and investing everything, but recently I’ve decided to spend money on experiences you can only have now. Traveling with my kids while they are in elementary school and eating delicious food together.

Even dining out, I sometimes deliberately avoid using perks and just enjoy what I want to eat (laughs). I’ve come to believe that money creates value when it circulates in the world, not just when it’s saved.”

A New Indicator to Identify Dividend Increases: Surplus Capacity Index

Pelican’s high-dividend stock strategy uses dividend yield and shareholder perks as investment criteria, but its distinctive feature is the emphasis on continuity—whether a company can sustainably provide dividends and perks. This is because the strategy assumes long-term holding.

Recently, he introduced the surplus capacity index, calculated by subtracting DOE (dividends on equity) from ROE (return on equity), representing a company’s potential for future dividend increases. His daily rich lifestyle is supported by careful stock selection based on this reliable indicator.

▼ Pelican began stock investing in the late 1990s, shortly after starting his career. He survived numerous historical market crashes and retired from his company in 2019 to become a full-time investor living off dividends. His annual dividend in 2025 was 7.51 million yen, with an expected 8.5 million yen in 2026. His total assets currently exceed 300 million yen. Author of Hajimete no High Dividend Stocks, he plans to release a second book in March revealing the latest AI-powered stock screening techniques. He has 48,000 followers on X, and his blog is highly regarded.

Pelican turned the adversity of the COVID shock into an opportunity and successfully achieved FIRE. His approach to truly rich living and the use of the new surplus capacity index for steadily growing assets offers practical insights anyone can learn from.

So, which stocks should you buy right now?

In the paid version [FRIDAY Subscription], Pelican reveals by name the three standout stocks to target this March that can enrich your daily life and car life while also offering future dividend growth potential.

With fiscal year-end approaching, check these carefully selected treasure stocks now to ride the dividend wave without missing out.