I was in high school at the time, and it encouraged me to pick a lucrative career track. I did have an interest in programming -- I didn't choose it solely for

I was in high school at the time, and it encouraged me to pick a lucrative career track. I did have an interest in programming -- I didn't choose it solely for the money, but it made me prioritize financial security. Seeing our financial markets melt was impactful. I remember my economics teacher showing on the projector a graph of the Dow on one of the large three-digit (possibly four-digit) down days and talking about the significance of it. It shaped how I view money, and would be somewhat attribute to my interest in achieving financial independence before standard retirement age.