The six figure salary is also what he was making only at the peak of his career, so it's possible (probable) that for the majority of that 25+ year career he wa

The six figure salary is also what he was making only at the peak of his career, so it's possible (probable) that for the majority of that 25+ year career he wasn't making as much. Edit: Actually it seems I'm not really correct. The article clarifies this: > His big break came in 1975 when he was recruited to The Cooper Cos. as vice president of marketing for the Oral-B dental-care business. > The job gave him a high five-figure income and an executive’s life at age 39. He flew first class to Cooper offices in the U.S. and in England, Sweden and Germany. He helped win an endorsement for the Oral-B toothbrush from the U.S. Olympic Committee. He had a closet filled with business suits, and on weekends he played golf with other executives. > So in 1980, when he was 44, he started a consulting company, with Cooper as his main client. He also did consulting for Sandoz Pharmaceuticals, Johnson & Johnson and others. > In flush years, Palome had several clients and earned about $120,000. Though he saved for his kids’ college and helped his elderly parents, retirement wasn’t on his radar. > “I never thought I’d live this long,” he said. His wife also died in 1983 so he had to bear the full cost of raising his children. It seems that he chose to provide a good life for his kids over his own retirement, as far as I can tell. I know a lot of parents who made or are making the same selfless choice. This is a slightly different topic, but it's really unfortunate that for most middle class families having multiple kids is effectively deciding not to retire comfortably.