While today’s youth are still struggling to settle down in their organizations, Daniel George, an engineering physics holder from IIT Bombay retired at 29. To start with, what one may find amazing about his story is not so much the fact that he retired early but rather a path he had to follow to achieve that.
A Promising Start
Daniel George’s life experience started in 2015 the year he graduated from IIT Bombay, recognized as one of the best universities in India. Having graduated with a degree in engineering physics he was ready to join high-technology business and advanced research. His academic success quickly paved the way to employment in one of the biggest industries in the world, Google.
The Google Experience
Thanks to this improvisation, our 24 year old hero Daniel got a job in Google and along with the job he got a Pay Package of $ 265000 (that is nearly Rs. 2 Crores). To his credit, his job at Google X, Google’s semi covert, research and development division gave him good money and lots of glamourous frills. Featuring gourmet food and beverages to extremely high quality recreational amenities; working at Google X was any food, beverage, recreation and fun lovers dream come through. For Daniel, however, the matter was not the job itself but the goal it served as a tool to achieve.
Below I outline the ‘Plan for Early Retirement’ that I am implementing to ensure a financially independent lifestyle after retirement.
Despite the comfort and prestige that came with his job, Daniel had his sights set on something else: postcareer unemployment, low-intensity work, part-time work, and early retirement. Daniel, however, whose goal was not to get fired but to learn and work for several years at Google, unlike most of his peers who would be satisfied with the privileges and steadily accumulate a millionaire’s fortune, started to think about his financial future systematically.
At the same time he decided to save, in order to be economically independent and financially stable. His was to retire at the earliest and have an independence from the humdrum of a corporate existence.
Retirement at 29
At the age of 29, in the year 2024, Daniel George was able to do something best done in the imagination; he retired. Finally, after realizing that he has enough money to live comfortably and without working for the rest of his life, the man decided to change course.
The exact details of his plans after retirement may however still be kept as personal information but the story of Daniel is inspiring. It emphasizes on how one should plan financially, how one should save and what one should save for. This paper examines the following question: What was the legacy of early retirement?
Analyzing the case of Daniel George who decided to retire at 52 years, the concepts of career and success are questioned. It tells us that becoming wealthy is not the only aim in life, not just to get the next promotion at the workplace but to find a good work-life balance, and financial compatibility.
As burnout dominates our lives and careers more than ever, this story of Daniel is a perfect example that realistic planning and a good attitude toward changing life can make people become early retirees.
