Such great philosophical questions are raised by your response. I don’t blame your friend or Singleton, either one, for maximizing their earning potential.
The question of the purpose of a degree is more nuanced for me. Is the purpose to get a job or get a life? Is the purpose to make money or discover a vocation? And is it important to see learning, in and of itself, as an intrinsic good not needing external validation like income bracket?
Again, I’m not asking this of either your friend or Singleton, since they seem to know what they are about. Just musing out loud about the “value” of a Tech degree beyond just being a means to an end.
Full disclaimer, I was influenced by Plato at a tender age.