Kenji, a former engineer at crypto wallet startup Phantom, said he chose to quit even though his total annual compensation reached $650,000. In his public remarks, he broke that figure down into a $270,000 base salary, a bonus of more than $50,000, and roughly $330,000 in stock options. The pay was not enough to keep him in the role. He said that when salary payments arrived, he no longer felt anything.
Strong compensation did not change the outcome
Kenji, originally from Taiwan, previously worked at Square, Brex, and Cruise before joining Phantom. He said he had already spent 10 years working in the US, building assets through passive investing during the tech stock bull market while keeping his spending under control and avoiding luxury purchases. That financial cushion moved his resignation timeline forward.
On his YouTube channel, he said some people still feel excited when payday comes, and that kind of response fits a traditional job path. His own reaction was different. No excitement, no emotional lift. For him, that was a sign that staying no longer made sense.
Family time became the bigger issue
Kenji said compensation was only part of the story. The more important factor was time. He has two children, and he found it harder and harder to accept that the best hours of the day were committed to work. In his words, money can be earned again, but time does not come back.
Before leaving, he had already been reducing his working hours. He said he averaged about 5 to 6 hours a day, and on good days needed only 3 hours, while still receiving normal performance reviews. He also said he should have made the decision earlier. His point was simple: highly efficient workers can deliver the same output in less time, but companies often still measure presence rather than outcome.
He wants quitting to include real rest
Kenji also questioned the idea behind the term used for quitting without another job lined up. Citing a friend’s view, he said the phrase exists because society assumes people should always be employed. He said he hopes that over the next 5 to 10 years, choosing to rest after leaving a job will be seen as normal, without pressure to present the next plan immediately.
Even after resigning, the routine did not disappear at once. During his first week away from work, he said his body still reacted automatically, and at 9 a.m. he felt the urge to sit down at the computer for meetings. The habit remained, even after the decision had already been made.
Next steps are still open
Kenji said he does not expect to join another company for a salary. His current ideas include continuing his YouTube channel, using AI tools to optimize video production, and possibly building his own product or service. He also launched a membership group called the “Quit Club,” which currently has 11 members.
He had once set a personal target of leaving only after reaching 100,000 subscribers on YouTube. He quit before that, with the channel still at 40,000 subscribers. His reasoning was blunt: making money is supposed to serve a better life, not become the end goal by itself.