Many of the people I know who make $500k+ in Manhattan are in relatively unstable careers. Finance comes to mind. If you take a snapshot of them in the moment

Many of the people I know who make $500k+ in Manhattan are in relatively unstable careers. Finance comes to mind. If you take a snapshot of them in the moment they may seem to have substantial purchasing power, but the smart ones realize the music could stop at any moment and their primary indulgence is saving up enough money to retire early (on much much less than $500k/year).