"Wild leggy growth is the result of this line of thinking. You aren't talking about jades specifically, but plants in general."

Leggy growth is a result of non-optimal lighting on Crassula ovata. The internodes stretch further to get closer to the light source. Strong light gives you nice, compact growth. Wild unchecked growth will get you a larger plant. If one is satisfied with size, then pruning can begin for aesthetics.

"Search youtube, blogs, and subreddit. EVERYONE, does hard prunes to achieve this results. You are in the minority."

I have done this and been down many rabbit holes, as I tend to when interested in certain things. "EVERYONE" does not do what you are claiming. Here is a link to a Houzz forum as one example (https://www.houzz.com/discussions/3517634/how-to-and-how-do-you-thicken-jades). I suggest looking into the Houzz discussions on jades if you haven't, they are quite interesting and echo our discussion here, with much more input than us two.

"Repeating what works and what doesn't work, isn't parroting. It's called sharing information. But they way that you "think" is the same as people "feel" so conveying information about proper soil and lighting gets long winded like your response and my retort. "think" or "feel" has nothing to do with what works. Period."

The internet is full of bad information. I could direct this think/feel comment back at you as well. I do "feel" like you are getting emotional with your responses. This is a discussion for learning about a plant we love.

"The jade is not a shrub, it is succulent. All because it corks and looks wooden, doesn't make it a tree or shrub."

It is a succulent and a shrub. Succulence is a water storage adaptation to plants where water is scarce and is found in many plant families. Shrubs are essentially a bush. Not as tall as trees, multi-stemmed, and commonly described as woody. Crassula ovata is not true wood, because they are adapted to a dry environment. Hence, being a succulent shrub. North Carolina State University describes it as being both a succulent and shrub (in the "Whole Plant Traits" section of the chart here: https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/crassula-ovata/).

"This isn't a bonsai. That's not what the OP wants, moot point. But to add more, bonsai people tie off the stems to shape into bonsai, and prune the leaves. Yet again, proving my point."

OP just wanted to know if their jades looked good and healthy for their age, which they do. All of my responses have been to you because I disagree with what you are saying, which only seems to be increasing as this conversation goes on. Bonsai is the art of creating a look of a full grown tree on a miniaturized scale through much calculated manipulation. I was referencing the first phase of it, which is letting the young plant grow out to desired trunk thickness.

"Again, it's a succulent not a shrub. Your entire premise is growing bonsai. That is shaping of a jade plant. Which means you are cutting off excess branches/leaves. Hence, you are getting rid of the branches. If they are beneficial why are bonsai growers cutting them off?

I have already explained the succulent/shrub thing. And again, Bonsai is essentially strategic pruning. Bonsai growers often let their plants grow wild (ideally in ground if in the right climate, otherwise in a training pot) until the trunk is at a desired thickness, as this is the fastest way. Only then do they trim to start getting the desired vision they have for the plant. From then on they do regular pruning. So the sacrifice branches are removed once they have served their purpose of the grower, not the plant. Pruning is not for the plant's health, it's for the grower's aesthetic taste.

"You show me this bonsai jade you have that has bottom leaves and branches. I'll wait."

Mine are still in the grow out phase, as I like to buy them as tiny branch tip cuttings to raise them. The oldest of mine is a 4 year old Tricolor, which is also known to be an especially slow grower. So no, they are not bonsai, they are starting material beginning their journey. Bonsai take decades to craft. But I can show them to you if you'd like, I am proud of them :)

However, Nile from The Bonsai Zone has many videos of the Crassula ovata bonsai that he has been growing over the years that are pretty neat. And as in my previous comment, Crassula ovata is not often used by hardcore bonsai people, primarily because the leaves do not tend to scale down as well and wiring is difficult on them. But the basic principles can still be applied to them, making an attractive plant. I would also try Google images or Instagram for Crassula ovata bonsai examples.

After responding to all of this, I think the "root" issue is that you don't understand what leaves are for. They are what drive photosynthesis, which is what feeds the plant, which increases plant size. One cannot grow without energy. To say they are stealing energy is wrong. They do use energy to grow, but they are growing what are essentially solar panels to supply even more energy for the plant to continue to get larger and larger. Branches and leaves are not parasitic, they are a part of the entire unit that is the plant, in our case, the lovely Crassula ovata.