[ferryman]

> despite them all being filthy rich it was a very unappealing position to end up in

Maybe I am missing something but this sounds quite appealing to me. Sounds like one can chase moonshots , try out crazy ideas without the pressure, scrutiny and inevitable stress of working with the hard-driving execs

[dunkelheit]

It is a strange thing, in theory what you say should be true, but in practice things were quite different. They could chase moonshots and try out crazy ideas but in practice they were working on small inconsequential problems with almost complete lack of energy. In part it was the result of a selection process - those who had energy and ambition had left long ago and those who remained lacked those things. Also I think it is important not to checkout of society (even if it means occasionally dealing with unpleasant people) because very few people can maintain energy and relevance without constant contact with others.