People Change Career Paths All The Time

That status might just get his foot in the door at some of these prospective global corporate customers, and getting in to see them is a necessary first step. Having the experience of being in the moment, in the biz for all these years can't hurt either. Diversity is a good thing, 30 clone employees aren't necessary unless they're mass manufacturing widgets.

Also remember that since he doesn't need the money, he might just have some passion for what he's doing which can make the difference.