It’s not easy to be an entrepreneur faced with massive decisions that could really change the tone of their financial future. In this piece, we’ll look into the case of a 30-something-year-old Reddit poster on the r/fatFIRE subreddit (the most opulent of all early retirements) who has a whopping $6 million banked but is wondering if he should stick around a business venture to bank another $2.5 billion.

Indeed, that’s no chump change, especially for another four years of work. While it seems like a no-brainer for the 31-year-old to stick with it so they can amass a sum worth north of $8 million to make a fat early retirement even fatter, the poster noted that he’s been going through some tough personal struggles.

Most notably, he’s stressed out (that comes with the territory for anyone running their own business) and has recently dealt with the death of a close friend, not to mention experiencing a near-death experience of his own.

Although it’s always a good idea to check in with a financial advisor, wealth planner, or, in this specific case, an entrepreneurial advisor, and maybe a therapist, I do think that there is no right move for this individual. He’s already amassed a massive, enviable nest egg at such an early age, one that can already finance a fat retirement in one’s early-to-mid 30s. In short, the individual has enough to retire in style at any time they’d like.

Key Points About This Article

• This young entrepreneur has made it, but there’s one more big payout on the horizon.
• Perhaps a regret-minimization framework would help one make the right decision for themselves.
• If you’re looking for some stocks with huge potential, make sure to grab a free copy of our brand-new “The Next NVIDIA” report. It features a software stock we’re confident has 10X potential.

This young, wealthy entrepreneur has options. But there’s no “clear” one-size-fits-all solution.

If it weren’t such a time-sensitive endeavor they were pursuing, I’d advise them to take some well-earned time off so that they can let off some steam, meditate over things, talk things over with their support network, and, most importantly, conduct some sort of scenario analysis. That said, entrepreneurship often doesn’t give one any time off. Indeed, it’s a cutthroat business.

While leaving $2.5 million on the table would not sit well with anyone, I also think it doesn’t make a lot of sense for such a huge sum to come at the cost of one’s mental well-being. Indeed, the extra cash probably won’t mean much if the individual were to be stressed to the point of having another near-death experience. Perhaps the experience was a warning sign that the entrepreneur needs to take a step back to put things into perspective.

Indeed, money isn’t everything, especially if you’ve neglected your health at the cost of finances. With a net worth of around $6 million, they’ve arguably already reached the holy grail. The major question is if the opportunity costs of stepping away are too high for the individual. Nobody else has the answer to this question.

It’s great to have more than enough to fund a rich, comfortable retirement in one’s 30s. That said, it’s also nice to have more so that one can help others in their life or donate to causes they believe in.

The bottom line

If I were to converse with the individual, I’d tell them to take the path that leads to the lowest amount of regret later on. The regret minimization framework is one that helped the great Jeff Bezos make all the right moves early on in his career. The path of least regret will differ for everyone in that person’s unique scenario.

The important thing is the person discovers what they value most: their net worth or perhaps something more. It’s all right not to have all the answers at once, but perhaps after thinking things through, one will be able to follow through with the move with confidence and, most importantly, no regrets.

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.