I wonder if that underlies, sometimes, Archie's push for them to *work*. If they don't take on private detection jobs, he's basically a pretty secretary! I can totally picture Archie having this faint subconscious fear that maybe Wolfe will just never accept a job again, and *what does that make him*? He would totally have to leave, his self-esteem couldn't take it.

Hell, yes!

There's another layer to that in that Archie's self-esteem doesn't allow him to have a boss unless he knows there is no question that his boss is more intelligent than he is (ie, a genius). If Wolfe became a tycoon and didn't do any work, there wouldn't be any opportunities to show off all his genius and, since the genius is one of the things that get Archie all hot and bothered, Wolfe needs an occupation that allows him show it off in order to keep Archie enraptured.