I don’t know how much money this person made but that sounds like a bad investment.
I too traveled a lot in my twenties for work. I lived out of a suitcase for two years on per diem and essentially banked my salary. I took that money and bought an apartment building in Boston.
Choices.
it’s a bad investment if one’s goal is trying to accrue assets with a financial value. it’s a good investment if one wants to convert cash to life experience, which can’t be taken away. they had the trip of a lifetime. their grandkids will quite literally be aware of and talk about this trip that their grandparents had. to some people, that has value.
it’s funny: spending money actually takes risk off the table because banks can go under, but life experience can’t be taken away.
but as you say, choices.
one just needs to be aware of what it means to them to build a life. then determine what $$$ is necessary to do that. might be a little. might be a lot. but there’s a lot of personal preference that goes into that.
and then of course, everyone should pay their own way. :)