Of all the stories, this one has to take the cake. Age is too arbitrary and subjective to be set as a target by itself without another variable like net worth.

A single person with just $2m can retire at 40 while a couple at 60 with school going children and net worth of $3m may baulk at retiring.

It is laughable thus that you should be competing just on age. I mean your friend retiring at 45 may be single and have only $1.5m net worth. Is he a "winner" compared to another who has $5m and still working because he has aged parents and young children under his care?

And by the way, people who are taking care of their own families, aged parents and extended families are doing good and definitely better than those who claimed to be doing charitable work while neglecting their own aged parents and relatives who are needy. I brought this up because I have come across such people. Sadly, they are going for "recognition" - they want to be seen to be doing good while ignoring or staying clear of their own needy relatives.