I had a friend who took 4-5 months off unpaid leave every year at our large enterprise tech company. He had no dependents and was sufficiently independently wea

I had a friend who took 4-5 months off unpaid leave every year at our large enterprise tech company. He had no dependents and was sufficiently independently wealthy that he didn't particularly care if HR threw a fit and didn't want him back. But he always came back, no issues. I always wanted to do the same but I needed the income so didn't dare try. Which is exactly how the companies want it.