What would you do if you won the lottery? Most likely, you would rush to collect your prize, cross the street without looking, and probably lose your ticket after being hit by a car, as happened to the protagonist of that wonderful series called My Name is Earl. However, there is a new millionaire in Germany who has done none of that. After winning €120 million in the lottery (about $140 million, to be clear), he has not collected his prize for two weeks.
The Millionaire Next Door lives in Berlin
As every Tuesday, the Eurojackpot drums spun in Helsinki on the night of 23 September. It is rare for there to be a winner with the exact combination. That is why the prizes in this lottery are the most coveted in Europe.
The winning combination was 7, 18, 31, 32 and 33, along with the complementary numbers 10 and 11. But, unlike other times, this combination had a winner. The ticket had been purchased in Berlin for just €19.
Berlin had a new millionaire. The news spread through newspapers and television news programmes. However, no one came forward to claim the ticket. In cases like this, the winner usually comes forward within 48 hours. Out of concern, or simply for fear of losing the ticket.
The Berlin lottery administration began to worry. Who wouldn’t want €120 million in their account? Had the winner lost the ticket? Was it a casual player who didn’t remember participating? Was the winner Bruce Wayne and didn’t need the money? Or was he in Maranello choosing the colour and finishes for his Ferrari before collecting the prize? Days passed, and the winner still did not appear. So much so that officials began campaigning with posters and advertisements to prevent the prize from going unclaimed.
All we know is that the winner reads Marcus Aurelius
Two weeks later, on 7 October, a man showed up at the Berlin lottery headquarters. We do not know his identity, but witnesses say he was not jumping for joy. Nor was his hand shaking. He appeared calm, collected his prize and left with the same expression he had when he arrived. The officials could not believe their eyes.
During the verification process, the officials did ask the man why it had taken him so long to collect his prize. The winner, who we know is between 30 and 60 years old, gave an answer that seems to have come straight out of a self-help book on stoicism.
Apparently, he knew he had won from the very beginning. But instead of going to collect it straight away, he took two weeks to process the news without rushing. He knew that the £120 million was rightfully his and he wasn’t afraid of losing the ticket. But he was afraid of losing his mind.
So he simply used the time to reflect. To anticipate the radical change his life was about to undergo. We don’t know what social class he comes from. Whether he has a good job or struggles to make ends meet. But it’s obvious that such a large amount of money would change anyone’s life.
We do not know, nor will we ever know, this anonymous man. Surely, from the little we know about him and his behaviour, he does not plan to make a trip to Maranello to buy the Ferrari we mentioned. He will probably keep a low profile for the rest of his life in order to live comfortably and at ease. But we have also been enriched by his story. The fact is that true wealth may not be measured in euros. Nor in dollars. Nor in gold, nor in Bitcoin.
In a world where dopamine floods our brains and we only seek instant gratification, this invisible man has taught us that true wealth is keeping calm when madness strikes. Taking a deep breath and slowly making a roadmap. Calmly planning a new destination now that fortune has smiled on him.