To me it just sounds like the OP is paraphrasing and getting the point of the story across without being word for word accurate.

The story is not that outrageous--Out of the thousands of people on hacker news, it seems likely enough to me that something close to that actually happened to one of them.

I'm sort of that story - however my high-school class mates are generally nice people and are more curious than condescending. I'm glad I chose to start my own small business as they share their woes of collage debt, office-politics, and dead end jobs that seemingly suck the joy out of life.

I would say that for some, a family centered life and a humble trade could be better than chasing after what I perceive* to be vanity.

* I'm probably mistaken in motivation, but life does present us with choices that are seemingly easy yet are full of hidden costs.

I wish so I could add extra spices to it lol.

What I know for sure is that my old friend has accomplished more things than our entire classroom as a whole.

I don't care whether people believe the story or not, or whether he actually paid his staff the money he said he had.

All I did was to share with you people his story as I have witnessed it myself.

I don't think it does. Just sounds like a retelling where some readers focus on specifics rather than the essence.