Should be called "How the 4 hour work week can backfire"
At least the guy had lots of fun and free time doing his thing for while it latest. I don't see any backfiring.
Yes, being fired was the "backfiring" here, as in a-direct-consequence-of-actions.
Sure, you can lose your job for no fault of your own, too, but you seem to be conflating the inherent unpredictability of life to the level of cause-and-effect.