> And why is the idea of stopping being a productive member of society at 30+ is a good thing ?
I'm just about to turn 30, and my parents bring this up all the time. I honestly believe this is old school thinking that simply doesn't apply in the year 2011. I go to work to earn money so I can have and do the things I want in life. Once I have enough money, I will stop going to work and contribute to society in other ways (volunteering, community projects, raising kids, etc.)
It blows my mind that people still think you have to go to work.
With respect to your first question, I was wondering the same thing. At $150K, federal/state/local tax - not even including property tax - is going to be over 30% unless there's some seriously dodgy accounting involved. Oh, but a lot of that was going untaxed into a 401k? Yeah, about that, the contribution levels mentioned are well above those allowed by law. Either there are some major inaccuracies and omissions in the OP, or the way to retire early is to break the law . . . or both.
It's called "Fuck you money", and it means he can choose to be productive or not as he sees fit. He's not trapped to working somewhere he doesn't enjoy being.
Why is this idea of being a member of society a good thing? I'm here to live my life.