Previous occupation: Vice chairman, Mercer Management Consulting
Age at retirement: 50
Jim Down's 85-year-old mother wasn't happy for him when he retired. "To her, retirement is the end of the road," says Down. "I had to convince her it was a new beginning." First he had to convince himself."It was scary," he says. "I thought, Will I feel productive?"
These days, he takes time to kick back, but also has a sense of purpose.
For example, each summer he chooses a country and spends two weeks playing as much golf there as he can. Last fall he picked and then stomped grapes in a Portuguese vineyard. But he also devotes time to nonprofits, like Oxfam America.
"Retirement is better than I thought it was going to be," he says. Down is aware not every retiree in his position is as lucky. "I know people who made money at an early age who don't have much to do and don't seem very happy."
