Social Security Who? Cornell Kid's $2.69M Math on Ditching SSI for 11.5% Yields

Ella Hough, a Cornell University senior and Bitcoin advocate, has built an interactive calculator modeling Strategy's STRC preferred stock as a retirement alternative to Social Security. Her work carries weight: Cornell is one of the largest Ivy League institutions while maintaining elite academic prestige, and Hough has pioneered both a custom degree and the university's Bitcoin Club.

The model assumes a 22-year-old earning $100,000 annually redirecting their 6.2% employee payroll tax into Strategy's (MSTR) Variable Rate Series A Perpetual Stretch Preferred Stock (STRC). The instrument currently pays an 11.5% annualized dividend and trades near its $100 par value on Nasdaq.

STRC has been less volatile than every company in the S&P 500—and every major asset class—over the past 30 days while delivering that 11.5% yield.

With dividends reinvested monthly and a yield tapering linearly to 6% by retirement age, the calculator projects a portfolio worth approximately $2.69 million by age 67. That translates to $13,405 in monthly dividend income. Compare that to the average Social Security benefit of $2,074 per month.

The 2025 SSA Trustees Report projects combined trust funds will be depleted by 2034, after which only 81% of scheduled benefits would remain payable.

Risks are substantial. STRC dividends aren't guaranteed and can be adjusted monthly by MicroStrategy's board. The preferred shares also aren't directly collateralized by Strategy's 762,099 Bitcoin treasury.