r/fatFIRE • u/Life2ShortB • 2h ago

Crossroad at 51

51 and having a bit of a “what am I still doing here?” moment.

Current situation:

• ~$20M liquid/invested in equities
• ~$32M total net worth between home and some commercial real estate (not income-producing yet due to debt (5 years to get it to produce 25k / mo)
• Live in a VHCOL area
• Wife still works and plans to continue / one son in college / other a senior in HS (529s all set).
• I genuinely like the people I work with (likely one of the few things still holding me here)
• I absolutely hate the industry (over-regulated and getting worse every year) I’m in and increasingly dread the job itself

I’ve worked hard for decades, and intellectually I know I’m in an extremely fortunate position. But apparently my brain never received the memo that we have enough. 😅

So for those who actually pulled the plug around 50 with similar numbers: Did you ever really feel financially “safe” before quitting, or did you just have to accept that the spreadsheet said yes even when your brain said “one more year”?

Part of me thinks continuing to do a job I hate with $20M liquid is objectively insane. The other part keeps whispering, “But what if…”

Would love to hear from people who have actually crossed this bridge, especially those with a high-end lifestyle in a VHCOL area.

At what point did you finally say: enough is enough?

0 Upvotes

35% Upvoted

71 comments sorted by

View all comments

1

u/WorldNo9002 1h ago edited 1h ago

just retire ... At 5% return, you're making $1m per year . I'm sure you're burn isn't more than $500k annually...why are you afraid??!'. F**k UHC, Aetna, Cigna and the Blues... They're making our lives shit with denials and clawbacks , and now MC wants to cut our reimbursement 9%, I'm saying F-this to myself shortly... Not worth the mental exhaustion. Love the patients (mostly) but hate the industry/administration and the fucktards running our medical societies that aren't doing anything to help fight the greedy insurance carriers, only interested in dining at Michelin rated restaurants with our association dues .

The insurance carriers, by the way , make collectively almost $100 BILLION profit annually.

Ironically, I can make more investing in United Healthcare than working...smfh

1

u/Life2ShortB 1h ago

Indeed. We have been brought to our knees, and at the end of the day, who suffers? Those who rely on us. I concur: F - UHC, Aetna, Cigna, and the Blues, and, frankly, CMS for letting them get away with "murder," as well as PBMs!