I think the author meant "could retire very comfortably in their 30s", and you're correct to point out that's not what it literally says.
But as for "could"? Shit you can do that at Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta if you're in that league and start out of undergrad. In my experience (more than a few of my FAANG-era colleagues either came from or went to high-technology finance), people don't actually leave Google to go to Jane for the money (which is similar at the p99), if you're a baller willing to pull the hours you can make many millions a year in either place.
I think people go to high-technology finance because they want to test themselves against a harder class of problem in a more adversarial setting against people who feel the same.
That's anecdotal, but my sample size is more than two or three.
But as for "could"? Shit you can do that at Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta if you're in that league and start out of undergrad. In my experience (more than a few of my FAANG-era colleagues either came from or went to high-technology finance), people don't actually leave Google to go to Jane for the money (which is similar at the p99), if you're a baller willing to pull the hours you can make many millions a year in either place.
I think people go to high-technology finance because they want to test themselves against a harder class of problem in a more adversarial setting against people who feel the same.
That's anecdotal, but my sample size is more than two or three.