Sounds to me like he left a lot of options on the table. There's a lot more out there than working in corporate or sitting alone at a bar in Tahiti. I'd love to be able to get creative and indulge hobbies as full-time work; it'd be nice to brew beer, or write a book, or take up woodworking, without having to worry about financing or making a profit from any of those activities.
I am the same way. I would very quickly fill my time if I stopped working today. I'd have more time to dedicate to strength and conditioning, being in the nearby mountains, expanding my garden, finishing my woodworking projects, getting back into beer brewing, cooking for fun vs. necessity, canning and preserving food, etc. Simple hobbies that are all very deep and rewarding.
Right? There's so many things I enjoy and would really like to spend more time doing and getting good at. As it is I am constantly having to force myself to abandon some in favor of others. My job just takes about 50hrs of every single week from me and fills it with meaningless drudgery to make someone else money.
