What is the quality of that time though? How much development have you missed out on? What relationships do you have? What's your health like? These are factors people don't think about.

I retired this year at 40 after a high demand career. I gave up a lot, but did manage to have a family and friends, though my health is completely trashed (big reason for the retirement).

This is exactly my point, I would rather enjoy those years than live like a hermit chasing something which may not even come to fruition.

There are many ways to retire at 40 that don't require sacrificing your youth to do so. Buying calls in a bull market for instance.

I don't know how to do that nor do I have the capital do that properly, I think anyway. What I do know is what the modern US school system taught me: get a skill, trade that skill for a salary, save, live below your means, and invest.