Financial Independence = Living Expenses < Stream of Income From Assets You Own That's it. What you choose to do with your time, whether that be work, or what

Financial Independence = Living Expenses < Stream of Income From Assets You Own That's it. What you choose to do with your time, whether that be work, or whatever, does not enter into that equation. If you think MMM is lying about being financially independent, then that's a different story. But that he chooses to work has no bearing on his financial independence.