I think it is combination of luck and skills. I work with many developers in 40s and I am just couple of years to 40. Company pays pretty good salaries but they produce atrocious work with much delay. However they love to talk about all the latest technology and company is lagging behind. They want company to arrange training in new stuff, meanwhile spend most of the time checking stock markets, chitchatting about kids' education, and personal family stuff in break rooms.

To me they are like most people in IT/Software who work there, because no other type of job will have this kind of salary or flexibility.