If only he knew in advance... According to the SSA (https://www.ssa.gov/oact/STATS/table4c6.html), the life expectancy of a US male at age 55 is just over 24.

According to that table, that hypothetical male American has a 34% chance of surviving to age 85, 17% chance of living to age 90, and 5% chance of hitting age 95.

Since nobody knows in advance how long they'll live, it's better (IMO) to err on the side of accumulating more rather than less.

Of course, how much more is a question of what you value more - being able to spend more when younger or having a lower risk and/or more cushy retirement in your later years after working longer.