Google Employee Quits High-Paying Job After Saving Rp. 6.4 Billion for “Mini-Retirement”
Zurich, Switzerland – A former Google employee has traded a six-figure salary for a life of leisure and personal fulfillment after amassing Rp. 6.4 billion (USD $1.5 million) in savings. Guillaume Poirel, who resigned from his position in April 2024, is now embracing a “mini-retirement” with his partner, Jan, focusing on activities like swimming, career coaching, and travel.
Poirel’s decision stemmed from a desire to maximize time with Jan, who is 17 years his senior. he realized waiting for traditional retirement would mean a significantly shorter period of shared life.”I can’t just wait for retirement to enjoy my time with him as he will be much older,” he explained. This prompted him to aggressively save and invest, ultimately reaching a point were he felt financially secure enough to leave the workforce.
The journey began in 2013, when Poirel, dissatisfied with a marketing role in Belgium, acted on the French proverb “Qui ne tente rien n’a rien” – he who doesn’t take risks, has nothing. He quit his job and moved to Dublin, Ireland, without a plan, subsequently landing a contract position at Google in content moderation with a salary of approximately USD $60,000.
Over the next decade, Poirel steadily climbed the ranks at Google, relocating to Zurich in 2017 and eventually securing senior leadership positions.Despite describing himself as risk-averse with money, he ultimately decided to prioritize life experiences over continued career advancement.
“It can be scary to turn down an income of this magnitude,” Poirel admitted. Tho,a year and a half into his “mini-retirement,” he reports no boredom,spending his days pursuing passions and enjoying quality time with Jan.
“Life is too short and life is beautiful and it is indeed too sad to spend most of that time at work, when we could spend it in beautiful nature with friends, family, loved ones, and doing things that really make us happy,” he stated. Poirel currently has no firm plans to return to full-time employment,embracing the freedom and adaptability his financial planning has afforded him.
(FYK / RNS)