To your last point, I agree. I think that most people (including most people in uniform) don't realize how well it actually pays to be an officer. The corollary

To your last point, I agree. I think that most people (including most people in uniform) don't realize how well it actually pays to be an officer. The corollary is that it's not easy to make much more by transitioning to the civilian world. But yes, one can leave active duty in their early 40s in a really good position - a couple million in savings, the pension, the retiree healthcare, the GI Bill for the kids - and keep making similar money in a new job or launch a new venture (having plenty to fall back on if it fails). Ending up with $11M later in life is not out of the question. I'm still thinking about the exponential curve vs. S-curve. I do think there are a lot of jobs, regardless of someone's final military rank like you said, that will pay low six-figures just for the security clearance and knowledge of certain systems. The few jobs that pay much more - getting into the world of corporate executives, board members, consultants, lobbyists, media personalities, guest speaking - might be accessible to some retired flag officers, but there aren't a lot of retired flag officers to begin with.