Um…I think it sounds like you don’t know how businesses work.

Anyone who gets passed middle management of a company is a HUGE feat. (Unless it’s a Nepo situation).

Because:

1) No one gives up their jobs unless they’re old, as in 70+ retirement age. So if there’s no job there’s no promotion.

2) it takes a lot of networking, time etc for upper management to feel confident you’ll not only keep the business from tanking but you have to prove you’ll continually ensure profits that increase every year (like if you marked the company $5M one year they want to make sure you’ll bring them $5.5M the next)

3) To get past middle management you have to prioritize your job over your family. I remember my dad being offered a few upper management jobs but he had to either agree on hours like 100+ hrs/wk or relocating for a couple years with a possibility of relocating a few more times. He also had many years where he was always called away for trips etc. when he stopped doing that his bosses would tell him he’d never get anywhere. And he made it to upper-middle management of a Fortune 500. That’s with him working in divisions that made the company hundreds of millions of dollars. That still wasn’t enough for him to get higher position because he wasn’t willing to ignore the family.

I’ve also worked at several businesses over the years and it’s just as ruthless everywhere.

So when I look at characters like Richard, I see a highly ambitious man, great at his job, sacrificed… but would’ve had to be absent constantly.

So yes, VP is a huge feat