What do/did you do for a living?


With the increasingly high priced items people own and are selling, I'm curious about the line of work people do or have done. I thought my $5k integrated was a massive investment, but seeing users searching for $100k speakers or $75k SET amplifiers has me curious about the varying lines of work people do to afford these items. 
128x128j-wall

In my mid forties

Got my degree in electrical engineering …

but have never worked a day as an engineer

Have had an incredible career in food / restaurant / hospitality operations that, despite the difficulties that can and do pop up, I wouldn’t trade for being an entry level engineer in my 20’s and 30’s. That said, not sure it’s something I want to do into my 50’s.

Oddly enough, I’ve gone back to relearning and re familiarizing myself with some of my old coursework and EE interests in the last couple of years. (Since Covid) and since falling back into hifi.

Have taken a couple online courses and am considering going back to school …potentially for a masters in EE. Not sure I could swing it at this point … but it is starting to be more attractive .

I grew up with an audiophile dad who was more of a music-first rather than gear-first person. He was a jazz person and I grew up in a house with far-outside free jazz playing morning, noon and night .

His system starting in the early 80’s was a Carver MXR-900 receiver, Nakamichi BX-300 tape deck, Denon DCD-1500 cd player (with an r2r chip in it) and a direct drive Denon turntable (can’t remember the model)… played through ADS l-810 speakers.

Silicon Valley’s high tech finance and real estate investments.

I’m retired in my sixties and about finished constructing my first analog+digital audio chain, but home remodeling has prevents me from setting it up yet.

My triplets are in college and am waiting for my wife to retire hopefully in December when her stock grant gets funded, but giving up her benefits which includes dental/medical/vision which covers me and my kids is daunting.

I'm in Aye Tea business for over 30 years already.

Don't plan to retire. I can do that even if I'm completely measurable and deeply old.

As part of hobby and other source of income, I'm a garage sale junkie and prefer old school finances such as investments into valuables that includes jewelry items and firearms. 

On my hi-end audio I've completely stopped upgrading and repair if anything breaks till I see my personal end. I only add or change music I'm listening to.