Depends on the difficulty - but there are plenty of ways to get to $1M without much risk.
Starting character should be the Pirate, which gives you stealth, pilot, and tactics as a start (very very useful). If/when you unlock the Spy, then that is an awesome starting character because you have goods to sell right from the start.
If you have the player designer thing unlocked, create the perfect captain with high pilot and moderate tactics. You'll survive more encounters more easily.
If you go the explorer route, pick the explorer, but note exploration is only truly useful in the early stages of the game (<5000 turns)
1. Exploring - Tuscanae Javat is a good start, although there is a sweeeeeeet planet just north-east of a Steel Song planet. Ghactllli (13,-9) provides great returns.
Exploring has its disadvantages though - you can't keep mining/harvesting the same planet over and over, because the returns will diminish and if you're not careful, you can actually render the planet a wasteland - meaning it will pretty much be useless as a source of all good things from that point on. You can always kill off unwanted crew there though
2) Understanding Rumors and doing Shortage runs.
This is a great way to make money from turn 1! Check rumors on the big homeworlds (eg Devaltos Prime) as soon as you can. Go and check out the rumors in the Spice Hall and the Palace. You'll almost certainly come across a shortage rumor. IF the rumor is close by (ie, <15 AU away), AND it doesn't involve restricted goods, go for it! That is, if you see there is a shortage on planet X for Plants, go around and collect as many plants as you can (or can afford), and go to that planet post-haste. First shortage activity will probably only net you $40k or so. That's because you start out with only small cash, and/or your cargo hold is limited. The Vae Victus is good, but there is a starting ship with a free W-F hold, which makes it a perfect ship to work on these shortage rumors. From the second or third shortage rumor, you'll be pulling in 100k+ easy.
Why non-restricted goods? I say that because if you carry Artifacts, Weapons, or Electronics, they will be confiscated if you have an encounter with a non-Trade Permit faction. If you are carrying normal goods, when you surrender, they will inspect you and let you go on without touching your stuff. Records are a funny good because they are not restricted, but will be confiscated if you are carrying them. As such, Records are not a great shortage good to begin with until you have some trade permits under your belt.
Once you build up your pilot skill, you'll be able to start carrying some restricted stuff. Pilot >15 as a minimum though. Trade Permits are essential.
3) Piracy
This option is the trickiest of the options at the beginning, but becomes increasingly easier. From the outset, pump your XP into pilot skill. Don't do any hostile encounters until you are at least Pilot >20. With Pilot >20 (and keeping pilot >200% of your level, you should be able to handle yourself as a gun-bunny. You'll be able to handle encounters without getting your ship shot up at all. You could also consider investing in warrior to do boarding actions, but I'm not an expert on boarding so will leave that strategy for someone else.
Piracy is great for getting money for salvage, plus stolen goods. However, it causes -ve reputation on some factions. I recommend you only target one or two factions to begin with, while keeping the others friendly to you. Steel Song are particularly evil and should always be shot at whereever possible.
4) Blockades/Surveillance
Similar to piracy it is a way to have control over your encounters and make money/records. You need higher pilot >20, and tactics of at least 10 to make this an okay strategy. It also wouldn't hurt to increase stealth, because successful blockades/surveillance actually mean AVOIDING encounters, which Stealth helps to do. Find a faction that you don't like and/or is under Solar or Spy war. Go to one of their planets and do a blockade (for solar war) or surveillance action (for spy war) and you'll make money and XP. Money from blockades comes from stopping trade, and money from surveillance comes from generating sellable records. Note Records are quasi-restricted, so you will have them confiscated if you are boarded or surrender.
