- Retirement is inevitable, even for the world's richest people.
- Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett, and Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk will retire eventually.
- Below, the world's richest people share their dream retirement plans.
It's hard to imagine the world's richest CEOs stepping down from their empires.
For some, like Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett, they can't imagine it either. For others, likeBill Gates, handing over the reins wasn't so hard to do.
With billions of dollars to their name and a behemoth company under their wing, a bigwig CEO's retirement might look a little different than the norm, whether it's prolonged working or a life of leisure.
But, that's not to say their retirement plans can't inspire your own golden years.
Here, 12 of the world's richest CEOs on what retirement looks like to them — and what lessons you can steal from those ideals.
SEE ALSO: 50 places in the US where retirement is affordable, healthcare is excellent, and life is good
DON'T MISS: All 50 states ranked for retirement from worst to best
Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon
Net worth: $81.5 billion
Forbes 400 ranking: #2
When once asked what he'd be doing if he wasn't 'Jeff Bezos,'Bezos said, "I have this fantasy of being a bartender. I pride myself on my craft cocktails."
Bartender Bezos sounds like the perfect retirement dream. Second acts arecommon among retirees, who fantasize about pursuing something new or different during their next chapter.
Branch out and begin an encore career from one of your underlying passions or talents — like creating boozy cocktails.
Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway
Net worth: $78 billion
Forbes 400 ranking: #3
"If I quit today — I see these people. They spend a whole week planning their haircut. That is not my idea of living,"Buffett once said, adding that it would be "crazy" for him to leave his job. "I would rather do this than anything in the world."
At 87 years old, Buffett is still steering the helm of Berkshire Hathaway. If you love what you do as much as he does, know there are a few benefits to sticking with your work.
Research shows that retiring at the age of eligibility has a detrimental effect on cognitive ability. Working even a year beyond retirement age have a significantly lower mortality rate.
Michael Dell, CEO of Dell
Net worth: $23.2 billion
Forbes 400 ranking: #14
"I think being 50 years old and being in good health, [retirement and succession] is not a likely scenario anytime soon," Dell toldEconomic Times in 2015. "I'm having a good time, the business is doing well, can't do it forever, but it's working well and we don't have a problem."
While some dream of an early retirement, others dream of prolonging it. If you're happy and thriving in your career, there's no reason to hang up your skates early — and when you do, you'll rest easier knowing that you spent more timebuilding your wealth and collecting social security.
If you delay retirement past full retirement age (up to age 70), you can qualify fordelayed requirement credits that increase the value of your social security payments by 8% for every year you wait.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider