After Becoming Fantastically Wealthy in Our 30s, Ready to Retire, My Wife Wants to Divorce

Some people become financially free much sooner than the average person. While most people wait until their 60s or 70s to retire, some people can get out of the workforce in their 30s. Reaching this milestone often involves quickly advancing in a high-income career or starting a successful business.

A Redditor opted for the latter option and ended up selling his business for $22 million CAD a little over a year ago. He’s married with three children and looks set, but the wife threw him a curveball that he didn’t expect.

Now, she wants a divorce, and the Redditor didn’t have her sign a prenup before the marriage. The Redditor stands to lose a lot of money in a divorce proceeding and is uncertain about his FIRE goals. He posted about it in the Fat FIRE subreddit and received plenty of comments that expressed sympathy while stating that he isn’t exactly starting all over. I will share my thoughts, but it is good to speak with a financial advisor if you can.

The Redditor Might Still Be Able to Fat FIRE

After the divorce proceedings, he may still end up with $11 million CAD. One of the comments said that it converts to roughly $7.5 million USD. It can get hard to calculate alimony and other expenses that the husband must bear after a divorce, but he still has a bigger nest egg than most people.

With $7.5 million USD, the Redditor can follow the 3% withdrawal rule and end up with $225k USD each year. That’s enough for most people to retire, but the Redditor’s expenses and location will play a role.

The Redditor Can Easily Get Back to Work

Although this is an unfortunate situation, and the wife sprang this news on him shortly after he sold the business, the Redditor is only 37. He still has his best working years ahead of him and can earn a solid income. He can use his business experience to secure a high-paying job or launch another startup.

The Redditor acknowledges that it would be more difficult to recover from this financial event if he was in his 50s or 60s.At 37, he still has plenty of time to rebuild his net worth, and he is already starting from a good position.

Always Get a Prenup

The Redditor never expected his wife to want out of the relationship. She has a therapist who believes it’s past childhood trauma that’s influencing the wife’s decision to leave him. The husband was unaware of these past events. While it’s possible the husband and wife get back on good terms, the therapist said that it is largely out of the husband’s control. 

Unmarried individuals can use this story as a lesson to always get a prenup. You never know how each spouse’s net income will grow over the course of the relationship and if their feelings will change for one another in the future. Most people get married thinking that a divorce will never happen, but a prenup can leave you prepared for the worst-case scenario.

Men also tend to bear the financial burden of divorces, having to keep up with the expenses of two households. It’s more important for men to get prenups since courts tend to favor the wives, but it’s best for both couples to pursue this route. Even if you don’t earn much money now, you never know how much your salary can grow over time. That way, couples can lay out the rules together instead of having a court decide for them.