If I'm poor I'm still indirectly exposed through the stock market. Employers stock goes down I get fired. Employer has better robotics because of AI? I get fired. Datacenter wants to get built where land is cheap? I get evicted.

Just because I'm too poor to own stocks doesn't mean stock prices don't affect me. That's indirect exposure not direct exposure.

I started buying stocks by investing $5 fractional shares each week.

You're never too poor to own stock.