One of my good friends Paul Hjort got the jackpot in the lottery in 2012 and quit the job the following day. But is he happier now?
I had the opportunity to ask him a few questions.
How did you know that you had won a lottery?
– I'm at work (Paul Hjort worked with pest control, red.) On Bornholm, (small island in Denmark) when I receive a text from the Danish Game Service that I should call. I call the number from my car, and a young guy in the pipe asks me to keep in touch. "You've won 3.2 million," he says. It feels unreal. I thought "Is that phone prank?". I'm going back to work and when I get home, I check the number and find out that it's good enough. I'm totally happy. I'm so relieved when I'm in a crazy stressed period of work, and I think: "Now I can do what I want!" And I imagine how happy my two boys will be when I tell them. In the evening I'm out with some of the others from work, and I ask one of them to turn on the clock. Then I give a round to all the people at the pub. I say it's my birthday so I get birthday song. I do not want to tell it yet. On my way home from the city, I dump on trash cans and shout "yes, yes, yes!" Into the night. Some residents come and ask me to calm down. I quit the job the day after.
What have you used the money for?
– After I had finished my job, I took a year out of the calendar where I thought what I wanted. I decided to create the Events4singler agency, and I've spent some money on it. That's what I'm doing today. Even though I have won in Lotto, I would like to earn my own money.
Have you become more happy after you won the Lotto?
– I've probably not been happier, but I've probably had a more exciting life, as money after all, provides some more choices, including In order to travel more.
Did you have a feeling you would win someday? If so, what gave you that feeling? Any way to describe
– Believe it or not, I ALWAYS knew I would win someday, even though i have played in many years.
Do you consider yourself lucky? Are you lucky in any other areas of life besides the lottery?
– I really don’t consider myself lucky. If I go to Vegas or Black Hawk, I lose like everyone else. I do consider myself BLESSED though. I have been blessed in a lot of areas: my wife, my job, my family, and my friends.
Do you think winning the lottery has affected your long term happiness (today at 5+ years later) and quality of life?
– As I said before, life is a lot easier knowing that you don’t have to worry about money.