Between medical bills and potentially needing a care home or home assistance later on, that amount can disappear quick. If you own your home, which many in the retiring generation still do, you also have taxes, upkeep, and maybe even the rest of a mortgage to pay off as well.

Some US based financial advisors recommend having $1.5M or more saved to retire.

Retirement is for the propertied class.

To be fair I'm 20 years younger than him have close to his savings in my retirement accounts, I'll have a pension as well as SS and will probably do what they recommend, just work a part time job.