Back in the last century, he was a well-paid employee of a bank (C++). He managed a group of experienced engineers.

The bank wanted to roll out a new product, and they asked him to submit a bid from his group. He specced out a reasonable 18-month plan for a C++ project.

A Vice-President then stepped in, and yanked the project, stating that he, and a small team of sycophants, could do the project in six months, using VB.

My friend quit, and spent the next two years, traveling the world.

When he came back, the project was a shambles, the VP had been fired, and the bank was begging my friend to come back.

He vowed never to be an employee again, and signed on as a contractor, for an eye-watering rate; which the bank immediately paid.

Last I talked to him, he’d brought a house in a Tony neighborhood, for cash, and he wasn’t even 40, yet.