The average retirement age in the United States is 62, but some people don’t want to wait this long to stop working and live the life they’ve always dreamed of. Early retirement has become a trend in recent years, and it’s one that entrepreneur Allan Hu has taken full advantage of. He’s only 28, but he has made enough money that he can comfortably retire and never work again unless he wants to.
Allan Hu has worked hard to save up money via many different enterprises, including poker, investing, and e-commerce. While being a professional stock trader was his most recent endeavor, he soon learned that this job was very volatile and stressful. He’s since decided that he doesn’t want to risk his financial independence simply to make more money. Now, he considers himself retired. “I plan to spend time with family, travel, and just enjoy life,” Hu says. “I love waking up in the morning and not worrying about how I’ll make money today. I’m fortunate enough not to have to think about that too much.” He enjoys taking time for himself and working on becoming a better person. While he considers himself a ‘perpetual bachelor,’ he thinks that this time off work will allow him some more time to date and find someone to share his life with. However, being retired young does have its pitfalls. “Most people I know, are still working. I can’t schedule a bunch of trips with my friends or family because they’re busy. I also have to work hard to make up for the social component that I received from work to make sure I don’t get lonely.”
While Allan Hu considers himself retired, he thinks he’ll probably start another entrepreneurial project someday. “I want it to be something I’m truly passionate about. I don’t want to be working simply to have something to do. It’s important to me that my next project profoundly speaks to me.”
While retiring early sounds like the dream, Allan Hu points out that it does have some downsides, but he wouldn’t trade this opportunity for the world.
