Imagine earning ₹3.4 crore every year. Sounds amazing, right? Most of us would never even think about leaving such a job. But Florence Poirel did exactly that. Shocking, right? She quit her senior position at Google Zurich and never looked back. And no, she wasn’t burnt out or unhappy. Her reason was something else entirely.
Who Is Florence Poirel?
Florence Poirel spent over a decade at Google. She started at the Dublin office and later moved to Zurich. By 2024, she was earning $390,000 a year as a senior program manager. That is roughly ₹3.40 crore annually.
At 37, she had everything going for her — a good job, a great salary, and a stable life. But somewhere along the way, she started thinking differently about what really matters.
Why Florence Poirel Quit Google?
Here is what surprises people — Florence wasn’t miserable at work. She actually liked her job.
“By the time I left, I was absolutely not in a position of burnout. The team was pleasant. The work was pleasant enough as well,” she said in an interview.
So why leave? She got clarity about her priorities.
“I realized how much quality time with the people I love is the most important,” she further added.
Her partner, Jan, who also worked at Google, is 17 years older than her. The age gap made her think about time differently. “I could not just wait for retirement to enjoy my time with him,” she explained.
That’s the thing, isn’t it? We always think we’ll enjoy life later — after retirement, after the next promotion, after saving a bit more. But later might be too late.
The FIRE Movement Changed Her Thinking
Florence discovered something called the FIRE movement. It stands for Financial Independence, Retire Early. The basic idea is simple — save and invest aggressively so you can retire way before 60.
By January 2024, she had saved $1.5 million. That was enough for what she called a “mini-retirement.” In April 2024, both she and her partner Jan quit their jobs. They planned to take at least 18 months off to travel and actually live life.
Life After Leaving Google
You would think someone would regret leaving a ₹3.4 crore job, right? But Florence doesn’t regret leaving Google.
“Saying no to this kind of income can be daunting,” she admitted. But she doesn’t miss the old routine at all.
“I thought I would get bored very easily,” she said. “But now it has been a year and a half, and I still haven’t had a time of boredom.”
These days, she swims in Lake Zurich, travels, and works as a career coach for women. No deadlines. No back-to-back meetings. No Sunday night anxiety about Monday morning.
Just life. Simple as that.
Her Message To Everyone
Florence put it perfectly: “Life is too short and beautiful to spend most of it at work when you can spend it with people and experiences that truly make you happy.”
Think about it. How many of us are waiting for the right time to do what we really want? We tell ourselves we’ll travel after retirement, spend time with family later, and pick up a hobby someday.
But Florence decided not to wait. She had a plan, saved enough money, and took the leap.
Let’s be very honest — not everyone can save ₹12.6 crore and quit their job. Florence had a high income and saved smartly for years. That’s not possible for everyone.
But her story still teaches us something. It’s not about copying the exact path. It’s about thinking differently about work and life. Maybe you can’t retire at 37. But you can ask yourself: Am I spending my time on things that matter? Am I waiting for some future date to be happy? What small changes can I make now?
Florence’s decision was bold when she quit her job at Google. But it came from a simple realization — time with loved ones matters more than anything else. And honestly, that’s something we all understand, even if we don’t act on it.
Florence’s story is not just about quitting a job. It’s about questioning what real success means. Is it a big salary? A fancy title? Or is it waking up every day, doing what you love with people you care about?
She chose the latter. At 37, she dared to walk away from ₹3.4 crore at Google because she realized money can’t buy back time. Whether you agree with her decision or not, you have to respect it. She knew what she wanted and went for it. That takes guts.
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