Conversation

Andy Matuschak
@andy_matuschak
This question's gauche, but: given the prevalence of $400k++ comp packages for ~30-year-olds in Big Tech, why aren't there lots more "gentle[wo]man scholars"? i.e. people quitting to do non-remunerative creative projects I can think of some, but shouldn't there be thousands?
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Jes Wolfe!
@jes5199
I had been wondering that, too, so I talked to a friend in that bracket, and he told me that the folk knowledge among his peers is that you need to save up 5 or 10 _million_ before you consider leaving your FAANG job
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Jes Wolfe!
@jes5199
which is to say: there’s a preference for creating generational wealth rather than spending the money themselves; maybe their kids will be the idle rich scholar class
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Andy Matuschak
@andy_matuschak
I see. Yeah, I was targeting a grad student fellowship back when I was thinking about it, which would require more like a $1.2M annuity.
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Jes Wolfe!
@jes5199
I think “millionaire who lives like a grad student” might be a counterintuitive lifestyle for people who are comfortable making 400k/year
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