"The old American Dream ... was the dream of the Puritans, of Benjamin Franklin's "Poor Richard"... of men and women content to accumulate their modest fortunes a little at a time, year by year by year. The new dream was the dream of instant wealth, won in a twinkling by audacity and good luck. [This] golden dream ... became a prominent part of the American psyche only after Sutter's Mill."
https://bbs.wenxuecity.com/tzlc/1155267.html
https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Suspect-in-triple-slaying-owned-19-properties-3185000.php
和地方投资，其他湾区工程师，都坚持留在加州投资房地产，结果很不同了。
和他同时进入房地产投资的工程师（其实数量不少），都是门外汉，都对房地产一窍不通，都是用工资养前两三年没有现金流的高价房子，但也因为没有现金流，所以不可能一下子买很多，而是每隔一两年买一栋，始终保持逐步投入，那时每年工资结余有限，不可能一下子拿出很多现金，股市又非常不好，大都套在里面，房贷利率还很高，但实践证明，长期逐步投入，结果都很好，现在都基本财务自由，无需看老板脸色，可以退休，无忧无虑了。
"The old American Dream ... was the dream of the Puritans, of Benjamin Franklin's "Poor Richard"... of men and women content to accumulate their modest fortunes a little at a time, year by year by year. The new dream was the dream of instant wealth, won in a twinkling by audacity and good luck. [This] golden dream ... became a prominent part of the American psyche only after Sutter's Mill."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Dream?
后来焦头烂额，估计心思也不在上班，最后被裁，失去理智。
听说那时候还有别人也是类似的情况，但是夫妻选择离婚分割财产，一方技术性破产，后来也缓过来了还挣了不少钱。性格决定命运吧。