Again my definition and your definition of broke are very different. I was making good money by 2006 it was just the first couple years in NYC I was struggling as cost of living was very high despite again making decent money after the first year. Every time your pea brain can't understand or comprehend something doesn't mean it is a lie
$120k a year and broke... yes , that sounds reasonable
If you chose to live beyond your means then thats your own stupid fault but you certainly werent broke.
it also helps if you use generally accepted definitions for things, it helps people to communicate better.
Making your own up is really counter productive in gaining an understanding.