Ivan Made Millionaire & Managing Director at 38. Now? He Is Dying to Retire By 40

When the top is not yet

Ivan: “This poncho is my wedding anniversary gift for…”

Me: “Come on! You cannot be that cheap…”

Christy: “Hey, listen! Let him finish.”

Me: “Oh, oh, I am sorry. Go on!”

Him: “She agrees with me.”

She: “I did.”

Me: “Huh?”

Say what?

Christy is okay with a dark green poncho for a wedding anniversary gift? What a God Send! Why is Mum unhappy with a brand-new cutlery set for her birthday?

Am I missing something?

Probably… yes.

The Guy Who Nailed His Way to the Top

Ivan could be the smartest guy I met in the consulting line.

As the story goes, he,

• Finished university with Perfect Grade Point Average (4.0/4.0),
• Graduated with Summa Cum Laude (With Highest Honors),
• Started work and got promoted by Year 2 (I did in Year 3),
• Hit Manager by Year 4 (Christy at Year 4.5),
• Hit Senior Manager by Year 8,
• Closed 8-digit deals annually,
• Made MD by year 12.5.

This guy rocketed his way upward by nailing every single darn thing he got thrown with. Somehow, he cracked the code of success.

Yes, the word is somehow.

Stick around. You will understand why so.

He graduated at 25, made Managing Director by 37.5, and has $1,000,001.00 in his bank account at 38+. Ivan was the poster child of success.

So far, pre-38 life for him has been a blessing.

But not quite.

The real question is…

What did Ivan find when he hit the presumed pinnacle of his corporate ambition?

“I got to the top, thinking that I made it. Trust me. You would, too. Christy imagined the same. But what I found there wasn’t what I wanted. Are you ready to hear what I am saying next?”

He was calm, chill, and almost ice-cold in his delivery.

My right hand was covering my nose and mouth while he spoke. My head was tilted slightly to the right. I never lost eye contact.

I was interested.

But I got quiet. My mind was noisy.

I was tapping my fingers on the table. Thinking.

I wanted to hear [all] the good stuff.

But I am not getting what I expect.

“Go ahead, Ivan. Surprise me.”

I smiled.

He didn’t.

I noticed that silent sigh before he continued. Christy said nothing, too. Seems like she had the front-row seat to his story. She need not utter a word.

“You asked for it. It might make you uncomfortable.”

I returned him a smile.

There is No Mountain. There is a Range of Mountains.

Ivan continued.

“80-hour, 90-hour workweeks, spending Saturdays in the office or in calls, giving pep talks to burnout managers, pushing through new deals with pesky clients, and business trips without notice. I work. Flat out. Sundays? I sleep. If I have energy, I go bowling. That’s my life on repeat.”

There was a mix of emotions in his tonality. I detected,

• Unbelievable annoyance,
• Rude awakening,
• Impatience.

I thought Ivan would be that [only] indefatigable career marathon runner I knew. I thought so. Seems like he is not going to finish the race.

How to?

The finish line is never there in the first place.

It is always somewhere further down, with no concrete end in sight.

“I’m tired, Aldric. I am actively planning for my exit. It is not easy figuring out what’s next.”

Christy finished the sentence on his behalf.

“We spoke about his circumstances. He is dying to retire from his MD duties. He is maximizing his savings… in case he wants to leave without a job. That’s why I accepted the Poncho wedding anniversary gift.”

Christy paused before continuing.

“I am grateful that Ivan is 2 years ahead of me in the firm. I can see what the top is like without experiencing it. I just made MD. It is not that bad yet. But a senior MD like Ivan? Nah. I’m out.”

I guess that is why they are desperate to retire from their current jobs.

It is a mountain with never-ending base camps and false summits.

The next one appears when you thought you hit one.

Ivan was candid.

“Say all you want about me being a cheapskate, scrooge, or what-have-you-not. I paid the price with blood and sweat. Am I spilling my blood on the streets for the second million? I don’t know. Probably not.”

He is right.

And I do think that is the sensible thing to do.

• To have a life,
• To have a career with more control over time,
• To earn without [massively] sacrificing health, family, and Me-Time.

“I need a life, man. I had none for 12.5 years. It’s time I get some by 40.”

I was [still] in my deep thoughts when he broke the silence.

Christy was already busy with her steak.

I responded with a light touch of positivity.

“You should, man. Your hair is turning grey.”

Christy barked back immediately.

“Oh, shut the f**k up, arseh0le!”

The Close

We don’t see what we don’t.

It is an obvious statement but not a foolish one.

• Ivan became a Managing Director at 37.5.
• He hit millionaire status at 38.
• He is dying to retire by 40.

We see the first 2 bullet points. What we don’t see is the third.

And that is why Ivan [I suspect] behaves in a cheapskate’pish fashion.

You do need money and time to figure things out.

Plundering his neighborhood bakery for loaves of bread on a cheap… makes more sense now.

That dark green poncho for a wedding anniversary gift? Man… I don’t know.

Maybe?

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Oh, oh, you can buy me a cup of black too! Thank you!