Ultimately seems to be a lose-lose-lose for the platform (where they don't pull 1/4 of their prior numbers), fans (who generally just stop caring), and creator (who makes money short term but loses major brand equity, relevance, growth)
Rogan didn't know how high he could've taken it. Now he does. Maybe he was ready to retire anyway?
The article's revenue estimates are based on Rogan doing more work...setting up subscription programs, keeping up with YouTube's content policies to avoid getting kicked off the platform, and continuing to find podcast guests and creative material.
Perhaps he wants to kick back, not work so hard (depending on the contract he actually signed), and collect a steady paycheck? The author likens Rogan's podcast to sitting on an oilfield (where the value of oil can be easily evaluated), but creative endeavors are hardly so cut and dried.
if his desire was to kick back it seems like the move would be to just relax his release schedule
wanting something steady in the chaos of creative work though, I can completely understand