Is Never Working Again Enviable or a Myth, with Paul Ollinger

Paul Ollinger says there is a myth in America that striking it rich early and not ever having to work again is enviable. We explore this topic and Paul’s stark realization that you get a lot more from work than a paycheck. He was an early employee of Facebook and left after a successful number of years to test the myth. Paul shares the pros and cons of his choice to retire early, including the opportunity to move closer to his parents and being there for them during the sunset years of their lives. We cover a lot of ground with Paul, including the concept of knowing how much money is “enough.”

In this episode of Money Tales, our financial insight focuses on the concept of “enough” and what is “enough” when it comes to your money number. Stick around to the end of this episode for this discussion.

Paul is a nationally-touring stand-up comedian, writer and podcaster. After 15 years selling advertising for companies like Yahoo! and Facebook, Paul launched the creative career that has taken him all over North America, opening for top comics like Dave Attell, Norm Macdonald and many more. He has performed at invitation-only, national comedy festivals, including the Laughing Skull, Asheville and Big Pine.

Paul is also the host of the Crazy Money podcast in which he explores the connection between money and happiness through conversation with prominent authors, academics, celebrities and everyday people. Paul and his guests come at finances through the lens of philosophy, psychology and practicality. While “money” is in the title, the show is not about how to make a million bucks, how to beat the stock market or how to save money by clipping coupons. It is about how knowing what we want from money will help us live our best lives.

A graduate of Rhodes College and Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business, Paul lives in Atlanta with his wife, two ‘tween children and French bulldog, Colonel Tom Parker.