Suppose anyone reading this finds themselves in a position where they have $11 million dollars available, all while being single. In this case, there is plenty of reason to believe anyone in this position would consider retiring from their current job. It won’t come as any surprise to learn we all hope to retire early if we can make enough money. It’s the dream, after all.
In the case of one Redditor posting in r/fatFIRE, they are living everyone else’s dream, having achieved $11 million in net worth by the time they turned 36. The real question for this Redditor is whether or not they have hit a FIRE number that lets them retire while enjoying life in a high-cost-of-living location.
What’s notable about this post is that this individual is in a unique situation where they live alone and have yet to truly consider the next step.
Hitting Your FIRE Number Early
Having recently turned 36, this Redditor is in a better position than almost everyone else his age, having already achieved an incredible $11 million net worth. To get to this point, the Redditor tirelessly worked a $3 million salary job they left because they “value this period of health and freedom.”
The Redditor’s current line of thinking has him believing that this number is good enough for him as a single adult male. However, he doesn’t feel he has put away enough money to purchase a home in California or New York and provide for a partner and one or two children.
Even though he advocates against buying fancy cars, he does want a nice home, help with childcare, a good education for his children, and the ability to travel frequently. All of these are lofty goals that every parent, regardless of net worth, should strive for, which boosts the argument that the Redditor has a good financial head on his shoulders.
The ultimate goal would be to return to big tech in his 40s for another few years after having children and add an extra $2-4 million in net worth that can go directly to buying a home. However, with 90% of his net worth in index funds, he will make money regardless.
The Honest Truth
There are a couple of immediate red flags about this post, and this Redditor’s plan immediately stood out. First and foremost, it is pretty ridiculous why anyone would walk away from a $3 million per year job to enjoy the single life in their mid-30s.
Separately, there is a very unhealthy belief that the Redditor needs to keep up with his peers, which is a recipe for failure. It’s okay to want to live a life that makes you feel comfortable in an area where you have friends, but trying to match them dollar for dollar is a shortcut toward feeling inadequate.
Ultimately, this Redditor needs to talk to a qualified financial advisor and discuss the possibility of diversifying his investments. On top of that, he has to face the reality that it will take a while to meet someone, date them, and start a conversation around children. In other words, this Redditor does have some time to accomplish these things, during which time he should be working.
If I were the Redditor, the recommendation would be easy in that he should still be working and only walk away from his job after his kids reach a certain age. You don’t need to retire with a baby, but once you start having toddlers and make core memories, this is the time to walk away if you have the means. In other words, the recommendation here is the reverse of what the Redditor did in that he left his job too soon.
The Takeaway
The biggest annoyance with the Redditor’s line of thinking is that he’s so worried about keeping up with a friend group that is still working (and earning). Yet, he walked away from a role and salary that would allow him to not only keep up but potentially surpass his peers, which is a puzzling decision.
Can this Redditor fatFIRE with $11 million? Yes. Will he compromise a little in some areas, like a home? Also yes. For most people, $11 million would be far more money than necessary to retire. Still, this Redditor made a conscious decision to walk away without having a solid understanding of his FIRE number, a decision he can hopefully walk back until he has a better sense of his future expenses.
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