You seem to be confusing two different claims: 1. A champion Go/Chess player could retire, and jump a successful career as <Something else>. You refute 1. 2.

You seem to be confusing two different claims: 1. A champion Go/Chess player could retire, and jump a successful career as <Something else>. You refute 1. 2. A champion Go/Chess player could have pursued a career in <Something else> from the start and made more money. You have not refuted 2. For an example, many physics PhDs become successful software engineers and quants, making a mid-career jump to a different field.