Masters in Business · Wednesday, July 15, 2026
Dr. Jordan Grummitt proposes his 'escape velocity' theory, suggesting that the true purpose of accumulating wealth is not solely for retirement spending, but to gain the courage to leave an undesirable life and pursue a more fulfilling one. He notes that this required amount of money is often less than anticipated and that people may prioritize the security of a large safety net over immediate spending.
“I think actually all of our talk of safe with your all rates and net worth, all it is is it's the amount of money that gives you enough courage to walk away from the life you don't want and start living the life you do want.”
“Believe it or not, I don't even think that amount of money has anything to do with what you're going to spend. It's the amount of money that gives you the courage.”
“What we tend to find is when people finally get the courage to leave the life that they're living that they don't like and then live the life they want to live, it's just actually not that expensive.”