I do not believe one did the wrong thing and one did the right thing. I don't believe investing money in materials and using it to live off makes you a worse person than someone who powers up for a few years then takes the money out later. If people see that as unworthy of reward I guess thats up to them. This place is full of unique people full of differing life circumstances that change all the time. As long as you do what you feel is right that should be all that matters.
I have no problem with you making money from posts, good for you I say, I am not the one judging them or down voting them or analysing how much of them you invest or use for your day to day life. Good for you I say for putting in the time and effort to build connections. I am happy for you.