I think you're right (regarding why nobody seems to retire after six months of CEO-level compensation). I mentioned military flag officers because that's the w

I think you're right (regarding why nobody seems to retire after six months of CEO-level compensation). I mentioned military flag officers because that's the world that I know best. Most career military officers have no interest in becoming the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs or whatever; they're perfectly content with a normal, middle-class retirement as a lieutenant colonel long before they would become any kind of powerful public figure. So the only people who remain on track competing to become generals or admirals are already kind of weird in this way.