I retired at 34. At 46, I now need to go back to work.

• Sam Dogen retired from his VP role at Credit Suisse in 2012 after over a decade of intense saving. 
• He planned to live of the passive income from his investments in stocks and real estate. 
• After having two children, Dogen is looking to work again to meet his family's financial needs.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Sam Dogen, a 46-year-old in San Francisco. It has been edited for length and clarity.

Even as a child, I knew I didn't want to be poor. I'd lived in five countries before settling in Virginia, USA, and saw the clear dichotomy between the wealthy and the poor. I wanted to understand how people made money so I could live like the rich.