What’s next for 40y with good career

Hi WSO,

Thought I could lean on those more experienced for help. Now right at 40, I’ve worked hard and can say I’m set in life - Desk Head Trader at mid-tier bank, consistent ~700k TC, good track record in my company, mortgage for my decent 2 bedroom apartment almost paid. 

I thought I knew where I’d be going - two decades in finance and time to get back to life. Then just came back from the bar with other Traders and heard the usual stories of the much bigger powers in Wall Street, the guys who appear in the news making not millions, but billions (call them MDs). Gotta say I was inspired to wield such power. 

I really want to ask for those who chose either the path of Life / Hobbies or MD / Career, were you happy with your decision, did you regret not taking the other?

Path 1 - Life: Doing the same average hours, stay at 700k TC, but build other areas of my life that gives me the fulfilment that the job won’t give. Good that I already know what that is - create my guitar portfolio, reach 1M Insta followers, have adventures with friends as a touring musician, be an inspiration of someone who did well in finance AND created his own music for the world. 

Path 2 - MD: Put all hobbies aside, get into GS/MS/JPM, work and strategize in those 12h work days on getting into an FICC level role, say 2M TC. Hello Hamptons and Ferrari. I’ll be a Corporate slave but maybe I eventually wield the power and on morning read on BBG “XXX made X billion for the bank”. I’ll never have that moment of touching people emotionally with my music.

And let’s assume it’s either or, more so as someone at 40. I can’t exactly practice guitar 3 hours a day if I’m working hard and taking global calls as an MD.

1 or 2?

Sincerely, 
Nijikon