NEWS FROM THE FUTURE: Cashing in on the Boomer boom

Dateline: July 30 2033 

It has finally dawned on millennials that they aren’t going to inherit any time soon, or as much as they’d hoped. Their parents, the Boomers, are living beyond their years and beyond their means. 

Boomers were the luckiest generation. They lived through boom times with bull markets, and amassed private wealth. On average, they are worth far more than their parents or offspring. The next generation aren’t so lucky. 

For a start, we’re all living longer, which means inheritance is delayed. We’re generally living healthier, more active lives, which means we’re spending more on leisure and fun. And those with poorer health and less wealth are finding that retirement is a costly business. 

All of which leaves millennials with only one option, if they want to acquire some of that Boomer moolah: tap into the most lucrative market yet. Services and experiences for seniors and products tailored to the oldies are in big demand. It’s a huge market that is ripe for disruption. 

The key to innovation in this space lies in hyper-personalisation. Not all late blooming Boomers are equally wealthy, but everyone has their foibles and fancies. They want to be seen and treated as individuals. From curated bucket lists to AI robotic carers that really get them, the field for smart new ideas is wide open, and the opportunities are huge. 

This is the long tail market segment that just keeps getting longer. It’s not about low price and high volume. Cracking the code of profitably delivering to a mass market of one is what you need, if you want to cash in on the Boomer boom.

First published on Mindbullets July 31 2025.

Retirement — the ultimate luxury 

Beware the silver tsunami 

Dateline: August 30 2035 

Dorothy Jones, lovingly nicknamed Granny D at work, closed her laptop with a sigh. It was her 75th birthday and she was meeting some of her few remaining friends at the cocktail lounge down the street. She checked herself in the mirror, ensuring there were no crumbs from her office birthday cake stuck in her frilly dress.

The face staring back at her from the mirror was kind and sad at the same time. Life hadn’t turned out as her generation had expected when they were 30. She sneered at their naive dreams: “Retire early, at 55, take a world cruise and stop off for months in Southeast Asia, maybe buy a small car and cruise around Australia, jump off in LA and drive across the US to Florida, board the next cruise liner to explore the Caribbean.”

On the way to the elevators she waved bye to her colleagues, wondering what they really thought about her. Do they feel sorry for me because I have to work? Do they really like working with someone who could be their grandmother? “Oh, stop it, you old hag,” she mumbled to herself as she rode the elevator down. She liked the mix of generations in the office, she loved the 20-somethings’ energy chasing the career hungry mid-30s gang, while the older folks took it easier and watched the office politics. 

“Here we are, the richest generation ever, and we can’t afford to retire.” Dorothy got all worked up after her first glass of chardonnay. “We are the Boomers, we created the welfare state, and now? The coffers are empty, our pensions have been halved, and we have to work ... or hope our kids can support us. Some life!” 

“Hey, did you guys hear about Sam Davids? No? His investments seem to have paid off. He retired last week when he turned 68 ... lucky bugger.” “Yeah, but he’s a Gen Xer, they planned their retirement differently. They didn’t trust the pension system we built.”

Dorothy looked at her old friends, wondering who would be around next year for her 76th. She pondered if she should tell them that next year would also be her retirement party. She had done the numbers, gone over them several times with her son, and they looked solid. She was one of the lucky ones — she would finally be able to retire. 

“A toast to the luxury of retirement,” she said and raised her glass.

First published on Mindbullets August 29 2024.

Despite appearances to the contrary, Futureworld cannot and does not predict the future. The Mindbullets scenarios are fictitious and designed purely to explore possible futures, and challenge and stimulate strategic thinking.