This reddit post discusses a 40-year-old with an $8.5M net worth contemplating early retirement due to burnout. Despite financial security, their spouse, influenced by a workaholic family culture, resists the idea of retiring early, fearing judgment from her family and market volatility. The spouse also complains about work but remains hesitant to embrace a lifestyle change.
Currently, about $8.5M net worth, not including primary residence.
$7.5m invested, about half tax advantaged, all in diversified portfolios,
$4M in property (inclusive of primary residence) with about $500K left on mortgages, but low interest rate so not going to pay them off early. Second home is a rental.
My income varies from high six figures to low seven figures per year. Spouse make roughly $250K-$300K per year. Probably over then next two work years I'll conservatively expect to clear another $1.5M to $2M, possibly quite a bit more. I'm thinking about pulling the plug once liquid NW hopefully hits around $10M. The work is insanely stressful and I just feel burnt out.
My problem is my spouse. She is absolutely wonderful in every other respect, but she is irrationally afraid of FIRE'ing. My spouse comes from a family with a work ethic where it is engrained that you die at your desk.