In fact, if money is what you're after you are probably better of getting the degree and then leaving academics, I don't know many people who stayed in the academic circuit and ended up being well off.

In academia, only those who get tenured professorships are sitting pretty. And they get to sit pretty for decades. Everyone else has to hustle to get their crumbs. I know people who are teaching adjuncts and they get paid crumbs ( $2 or $3K PER SEMESTER ). This is at a highly competitive university where tuition + board is $80K. I could not believe it.

3K per semester with an advanced degree? That's insane. You earn more being a graduate student. Is that a non-STEM field? A regular job would be a much better option.

Yes, it is insane.

Universities have become sweatshops. There are a handful of tenured foremen/women, but everyone else is busking it.

The students are psrt of the cash crop, investment income, donations from alumni, and grants make up the rest.

Original thinking and game-changing research have been deprecated.

What? What does you comment have to do with the topic?

It seems like you got offended by the title, which has nothing to do with what you wrote.

You seem to have a chip on your shoulder about being a failure at math ( or failing to get a PhD ).

You are wrong :)