There Will Be No Retirement (And That's Good News for Architects)
There Will Be No Retirement (And That’s Good News for Architects)
If you’re under 50, trusting the pay-as-you-go pension system is a mathematically losing bet.
This is not a political opinion. It’s arithmetic.
Declining demographics + Exploding public debt = Inevitable system failure.
Governments know this. They postpone the deadline. They adjust parameters. They buy time.
But mathematics are inflexible.
Your generation will not receive what it was promised.
And strangely, this might be good news.
The Merciless Arithmetic
The Pay-As-You-Go System
The French pension system (and most Western systems) works on a pay-as-you-go basis.
Today’s workers pay today’s pensions.
For it to work, you need a favorable worker/retiree ratio.
The Killing Numbers
1960: 4 workers for 1 retiree 1990: 3 workers for 1 retiree 2020: 1.7 workers for 1 retiree 2040: 1.3 workers for 1 retiree (projection) 2060: 1.1 workers for 1 retiree (projection)
Each worker will have to finance nearly one complete retiree.
It’s mathematically unsustainable.
The Options (All Bad)
Facing this imbalance, governments have only 3 options:
Option 1: Lower pensions Retirees receive less. Standard of living plummets.
Option 2: Increase contributions Workers pay more. Purchasing power plummets. Talent flight.
Option 3: Push back retirement age Work longer. 67? 70? 75?
In practice, governments do a mix of all three, progressively, to spread the pain.
The Realistic Projection
If you’re 35 today:
- Likely retirement age: 67-70
- Likely pension: 50-60% of what current retirees receive (in real value)
- Contribution period: 45+ years
You’ll work longer to receive less.
The Obsolete Concept of “Retirement”
Beyond the numbers, it’s the very concept of retirement that’s a product of the industrial era.
The Origin of Retirement
Modern retirement was invented by Bismarck in Germany (1889).
The idea: You work hard in factories for 40-45 years, then the state pays you a pension for your final years.
At the time:
- Life expectancy was 65-70 years
- Retirement age: 65
- Average retirement duration: 0-5 years
It was a sustainable system because few people lived long enough to benefit from it.
The World Has Changed
Today:
- Life expectancy: 80-85 years
- Retirement age: 62-65
- Average retirement duration: 20-25 years
The system was designed for 5 years of pension, not 25.
The Absurdity of the Model
The industrial retirement model says:
“You suffer for 40 years in a job you don’t like, then you ‘rest’ until death.”
It’s a model of deferred life.
You trade your youth for a promise of future rest.
But:
- Work that “causes suffering” is a choice, not a fate
- Retirement rest comes when you’re tired and sick
- The promise itself is no longer guaranteed
The Architect Doesn’t Retire
The Economic Architect has a radically different approach.
Why Retire?
Retirement addresses a need: escaping painful work.
But if your “work” consists of:
- Piloting fascinating systems
- 2-5 hours per week
- From anywhere in the world
- For income that flows automatically
Why would you stop?
The Perpetual Retirement
The Architect lives in perpetual retirement.
They have:
- Time freedom (no imposed schedules)
- Geographic freedom (no imposed location)
- Intellectual stimulation (interesting projects)
- Income (without depending on the state)
It’s retirement without the wait.
The Best of Both Worlds
The Architect combines:
- The free time of a retiree
- The energy and health of youth
- The income of a worker
- The stimulation of an entrepreneur
They don’t wait until 65 to “finally live”. They live now, while building.
The AES as a Solution to the Retirement Problem
The AES (Autonomous Economic System) elegantly solves the retirement problem.
What the AES Offers
Income independent of age Your system generates income whether you’re 30, 50, or 80. No “career end” that cuts off income.
Income independent of your health If you get sick, the system continues. No income loss tied to physical incapacity.
Transferable income You can pass your AES to your children. It’s a productive inheritance, not just dormant capital.
Evolving income Your AES can grow over time. Unlike a fixed pension that erodes with inflation.
Model Comparison
| Aspect | Traditional Retirement | AES |
|---|---|---|
| Income start | 65-70 years | As soon as system is built |
| Amount | Fixed, eroded by inflation | Variable, potentially growing |
| Dependency | State (political risk) | Yourself (manageable risk) |
| Inheritance | None (stops at death) | Transferable |
| Activity | Forced inactivity | Chosen activity |
| Meaning | Often loss of meaning | Continuous creation |
Building Your “AES Retirement Plan”
How to structure your approach for long-term security?
Phase 1: Construction (30-45 years)
Objective: Build your AES portfolio
Actions:
- Launch your first MEP
- Iterate and optimize
- Reinvest profits in new systems
- Diversify (niches, geographies, asset types)
Target: 3-5 stable AES generating $5-10K/month total
Phase 2: Consolidation (45-55 years)
Objective: Stabilize and secure
Actions:
- Automate as much as possible
- Document for transmission
- Reduce risk (diversification)
- Build “defensive assets” (less flashy but more stable)
Target: Sufficient income to live without touching capital
Phase 3: Cruise (55+ years)
Objective: Enjoy and transmit
Actions:
- Minimal maintenance
- Exploration of new projects (by passion, not necessity)
- Preparation for transmission
- Tax optimization of succession
Target: Total freedom + prepared inheritance
The Objection: “But It’s Risky!”
Some will say: “Counting on digital systems for retirement is risky!”
Let’s examine the compared risks.
Risks of the Traditional Pension System
- Political risk: Reforms, pension cuts, age pushback
- Demographic risk: Fewer workers to pay
- Economic risk: Crisis that empties coffers
- Inflation risk: Fixed pension losing value
You have no control over these risks.
Risks of the AES
- Technical risk: Algorithm change, breakdown
- Market risk: Niche that fades
- Competition risk: New entrants
You have significant control over these risks:
- System diversification
- Continuous adaptation
- Technology watch
The Real Risk Calculation
The risk is not “AES vs No risk”.
The risk is “AES vs Fragile pension system”.
Compared to a mathematically doomed pension system, a well-diversified AES portfolio is less risky.
The Psychological Dimension
Beyond financial aspects, retirement poses a psychological problem.
Retiree Syndrome
Many retirees suffer from:
- Loss of meaning (no more “role” in society)
- Loss of identity (who am I without my work?)
- Social isolation (colleagues gone)
- Cognitive decline (less stimulation)
- Depression (feeling of uselessness)
The “dream” retirement sometimes becomes a nightmare.
The Architect’s Advantage
The Architect doesn’t have this problem.
They remain:
- Active: Always projects to pilot
- Stimulated: Continuous learning
- Connected: Architect community
- Useful: Continuous value creation
- Identified: “I am an Architect” remains true
They can choose their activity level. Busy week or light week, as they wish.
Conclusion
The pay-as-you-go pension system is a doomed anachronism.
It was designed for a world that no longer exists:
- Growing demographics
- Short life expectancy
- Painful physical work
That world is gone. The system will survive a few more decades, in degraded mode.
But you cannot count on it.
The Economic Architect has understood this.
They build their own security:
- AES that generate income
- Time freedom starting now
- Continuous intellectual stimulation
- Transferable inheritance
The AES is not a supplement to retirement.
The AES IS retirement. A perpetual retirement.
Start building it now.
Don’t wait until 65 to discover the promise was empty.