Money does make some things easier. People make job choices based on:

- lifestyle - how much does this job affect my work/life balance? Do I have to travel far / work late?

- challenge - how hard is it? Will I enjoy the work?

- impact - what's the mission of the company? What am I contributing to?

- salary - how does the job fit with my financial goals?

- prestige - can I talk about / be celebrated for what I do?

Possibly other factors as well. But if everything is equal, but one job pays more than another (and if it's Jane Street, one year's work might be 3 years' work somewhere else) then it makes sense to take it.

I went through a relatively brief conspicuous consumption phase in my youth, but most of the people around me actually didn’t.

What money bought them, and why I now want more than I have, is the ability to delegate both tasks, but even more importantly worry, to others. If I have a brand-new car with a warranty, I spend zero worry that it’s going to break down. If I have a hot shit CPA and/or lawyers and stuff, I spend zero worry than I’m going to dick up my taxes or something. If I have a rhodium-plated health plan, I don’t worry (much) about getting sick. Ditto fitness trainer, ditto housekeeping service, ditto laundry service.

What this really buys a passionate hacker (really a passionate anything) is time unencumbered by stress, which is very different to just time. I can really focus on whatever I want to.

Usually this means I have to work hard and stress about technical stuff, but I far prefer, borderline like, being wrapped around the axle on technical stuff. I hate worrying about that other stuff.

How anyone could fail to consider this a reasonable tradeoff is beyond me.

There's nothing wrong with pursuing money.