' ₹100 Crore And Nothing To Chase': NRI Calls Retirement In India A 'Bliss And A Curse'

(MENAFN- Live Mint) An Indian-origin professional who returned to India after building a net worth of over ₹100 crore has struck a chord online with an unusually honest account of early retirement - describing it as“both a bliss and a curse”.

In a detailed Reddit post, the man traced his journey from a middle-class upbringing to financial independence after years in the Indian tech sector and a long stint in the US. He wrote that he began his career at a services company, moved into core technology roles, relocated overseas, and steadily grew his wealth through investing.

“The last few years have been phenomenal for our stock portfolio. We are at $12 million-plus ( ₹100 crore-plus) now - a number I never thought I would see,” he said.

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Having recently returned to India and stepped away from work entirely, he now lives with his family in a gated community, where life runs on a carefully built routine. His days, he shared, are spent playing sports and working out for at least three hours, reading for a couple more, tracking the markets, watching TV shows, and spending long stretches of uninterrupted time with his children and spouse.

“There are many days I just stay inside the gated community and don't step out into the chaos outside,” he wrote, adding that with cooks, maids and coaches available at the click of a button, daily life feels effortless.

Before settling into this rhythm, he allowed himself months of unstructured indulgence - binge-watching iconic shows like The Sopranos, The Wire, Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad, revisiting classic films, replaying video games such as Age of Empires and God of War, and travelling extensively across Asia and Europe. He went biking and hiking for days at a time, often disconnecting completely from the world.

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By his own admission, life has been“good”. Yet comfort has also brought an unexpected emotional reckoning.

“Nowadays I do get bored sometimes - but I cannot imagine grinding at a tech company again,” he wrote. While he is still trying to figure out what to do next, he questions whether it even matters.“The happiness I get spending time with my family and myself - I'm okay trading that off for promotions and titles.”

He said he briefly explored working with non-profits but walked away, disillusioned by what he described as widespread dishonesty and corruption. The experience, he suggested, took a toll on his optimism.

In one of the most introspective parts of his post, he reflected on how much he has changed over the years - from an idealistic younger man who believed he could make a difference, to someone more inward-looking and disengaged from society at large.

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“Sometimes I look back and wonder what happened to that person,” he wrote, before concluding with a stark acceptance:“Nothing really matters. I don't think I can make a difference, and I'm fine with that.”

His post struck a chord with many readers, sparking conversations around whether financial freedom guarantees fulfilment - and what purpose looks like once money is no longer a concern.

"The bored part comes quickly. Sometimes i think work is almost daycare for adults when you have achieved everything else," a user wrote.

"Congrats on reaching FI and becoming retired. Two cents - pick up something you think you care about, don't worry about changing the world or even making impact. Learn it, do it, get better at it, and write about it, put it out there. Focus on the process, if someone is interested and want to learn they will naturally gravitate towards you. If nothing, you get to do what you think you like, and actually like it," another user commented.

"Congrats OP! I'm getting there too, just like you returned from the US recently, and knowing that one can retire early at least without a financial burden is such a blessing to be had, especially given the tech scene at the moment. One thing I'm really thinking about is to cultivate hobbies that I can take forward in my retirement, badminton, chess, learning to sing, teaching at a school, mentoring, all these are something I'd like to pursue. Wish you the best luck in life going forward. As you mentioned already with hitting the gym, keep your health as the utmost priority. You want to give your loved ones as much of your time being healthy as possible," the third user suggested.

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