Māori Millionaire by Te Kahukura Boynton

Māori Millionaire: A Beginner’s Guide to Building Better Money Habits is the bold, refreshing debut from 21-year-old entrepreneur and financial educator Te Kahukura Boynton. More than a manual on money management, this book is a kaupapa-driven guide to transforming your relationship with money, reshaping your mindset, and reclaiming tino rangatiratanga over your financial future.

Boynton, best known for her blog, podcast, and social media platform “Māori Millionaire,” speaks directly to those often left out of the financial literacy conversation, especially rangatahi, whānau Māori, and those starting from a place of struggle rather than abundance. She writes with clarity, honesty, and conviction, making complex financial ideas accessible without condescension or jargon. There is no need for a dictionary alongside this book; her explanations are simple, grounded, and rooted in lived experience.

What sets Māori Millionaire apart from other finance books is its deeply personal tone. Boynton shares her journey from broke university student to ambitious entrepreneur with humility and humour. Along the way, she opens up about mental health, weight loss, generational trauma, and her struggles with self-worth, all of which are entwined with her relationship to money. Through reframing thoughts like “I can’t afford it” into “how can I afford it,” she invites readers to consider how mindset can unlock solutions and build momentum.

Boynton doesn’t ignore the systemic barriers many Māori and Pasifika face. Colonisation, intergenerational poverty, and social inequality are not afterthoughts but integral to her analysis. She acknowledges the historical reasons for today’s wealth gap and asserts that healing starts with awareness and action - both financial and cultural. In doing so, she offers something rare in the world of personal finance: not just practical advice, but cultural and emotional context.

The structure of the book is straightforward and inviting. Topics include budgeting, investing, debt reduction, income growth, insurance, and journaling. Boynton introduces the concept of becoming “1% better every day,” an approach that encourages incremental change without overwhelm. Her writing is sprinkled with te reo Māori and cultural references, giving the book an unmistakably Aotearoa flavour while reinforcing its kaupapa Māori foundation.

Perhaps most importantly, Boynton’s message is one of collective uplift. She is not writing for herself alone, but for her people. Her motivation is not luxury or status but the desire to be a light for others. This whanaungatanga is embedded in every page. She writes, as one reviewer noted, “with the heart of a rangatira,” offering guidance and inspiration that is well beyond her years.

Māori Millionaire is a timely, empowering, and necessary book. It proves that personal finance can be both practical and political, personal and transformational. Whether you are Māori, tauiwi, young or old, this is a resource that will speak to you. Boynton’s work is a taonga, and its impact will undoubtedly ripple far beyond the bookshelf.

Reviewer: Chris Reed

Penguin