Eight years so far.
Just sat the module one ATPL exams, just waiting for the results to arrive on the door mat next Friday.
However I did start down the route by obtaining my CAA PPL(A) and enjoying the licence for around four years before being given a kick up the backside by a couple of airline pilot friends to get my commercials started.
Since then I've obtained the FAA CPL/IR SE ME, CAA PPL/IMC/Multi, 600 hours and hopefully a pass at the first lot of ATPL exams so I haven't really wasted the first few years.
Working fulltime during all of this, just obtaining extended periods away from work for some of courses thanks to a very understanding manager who would like to fly himself.
However this has cost a lot more money than it would have otherwise have taken to complete the courses if I had done one after the other.
Hoping to have the module two exams completed by February / March of next year with the JAA CPL/IR conversion with MCC and maybe a 737 type rating (only maybe though) a couple of months afterwards.
So it will hopefully have taken me 9 to 10 years to complete all the licences and obtain a first job in the airline/corporate/air taxi industry but I have enjoyed myself immensely during this time...