> it's weird to feel sad for someone making $250k+ per year, but I've heard their first hand accounts of how much they hate their jobs.

Most people hate their jobs. And very few make $250k+ per year.

Investment bankers and traders are smart enough and rich enough to make a leap into a new career, if they really desired.

Your friends should grab a wad of $100 bills from each of their wallets, wipe away their tears, and do something proactive about their lives.