Being a senior operator/operations expert is hard to beat

So I'm new to the world of IB, and I see so many people with dreams of being a senior banker or investor of various types. I was talking to my dad who made it F500 c suite / President level and then jumped to PE backed businesses- and it shifted my POV, especially after talking further with some of his friends through the years. At SVP/EVP level you're making $450-650k cash + 1-3Mn in equity (in Tech and Manufacturing Services). It's a grind but you have an army of people to support you / that you lead. Now, exited to PE side, cash comp is base $500-650k + bonus (up to 100%, down right now mostly since markets are bad), and my dad as side gigs casually has signed up several $10k/month retainers for consulting + gets a sea of $1-2k/hour consulting type gigs just coming in on LinkedIn. This path- where you know how to operate something and have a network and skillset developed around a tangible skill (running, scaling, and executing deals in a manufacturing environment) (or adjacent skills in other verticals) is a way to wealth that many folks ignore. I'm thinking, use banking to refine yourself and prove yourself as competent/as a lever for quicker growth in 2-3 years, but don't stick yourself in the box of just being a deal doer, if your goal is to achieve wealth in corporate America. Also the career of running companies/operations , travelling to all parts of Europe, Asia, etc for a F500 company (lots of private jets) is unbeatable career + life experience.