If you find value in it, does this really matter? Knowing these things about a person does little more than give you something to like/dislike, approve/disapprove, etc. about them.
Why should we care what this person does? How much money they make from the small parts of their life we see? Why they choose not to bare their souls to us, the morbidly curious?
If this question were actually answered, in my opinion, this site would become less interesting. Keep and enjoy a little bit of mystery and wonder, even if it is just a very little bit.
Such personal questions about people whose work I respect come from a feeling that I might like to do similar, and an insight into their lifestyle and personality may enable that, or else persuade me that the sacrifices are too high for my circumstance. Learning about the lives of people with similar interests always widens my perspective on ways to spend time and the opportunity costs therein.
A good example for me is top level gamers. I love playing games and watching them being played competitively (videogames, Magic the Gathering, Chess, etc.). I've dabbled in competitive gaming but never committed very far, and when I do talk to high level players I always want to know what their day jobs are. To my surprise (or disgust, or satisfaction - I'm not quite sure which), many are unemployed or involved in low-level jobs which allow them to maximise practice time. Some are professional and sponsored but unless they do really well then their incomes from this are atrocious. Then there are others such as "Ultradavid" (a fighting game commentator, but someone whose work I highly respect) who is a lawyer! Only a couple of days ago I asked Ryan Hart (probably the best UK all-rounder at fighting games) about his job and he said he does remote consultancy and editing which means he can travel worldwide to play and still work. One of my relatives is world-class in a competitive sport and also has a very high-powered career - I asked him how he manages that and he told me the prestige of the sport in question allows him to be given time off for competitions and training, though his life essentially is just work, family, and the sport. I found that one particularly interesting because I suspect even if he were far and away the best Counter Strike player in the world rather than in a well-respected sport then that wouldn't fly in his profession. Anyway, these are datapoints which increase my knowledge and help inform my own decisions.
In the case of gwern, it could influence my own choices greatly to hear if he lives off an inheritance, or is a Physics professor, or a professional football player, or especially if he has applied his analytical skills to learning specific technologies in high demand and low supply which maximise his hourly earnings to enable him to work very little and do what he wants the rest of the time. Or, indeed, if he is unemployed and poor, and if so...why?
That's a nice essay. I was especially moved by the parts about the ephemerality of programs as compared to ordinary writing - indeed, what program will still be read a century from now?
Why should we care what this person does? How much money they make from the small parts of their life we see? Why they choose not to bare their souls to us, the morbidly curious?
If this question were actually answered, in my opinion, this site would become less interesting. Keep and enjoy a little bit of mystery and wonder, even if it is just a very little bit.