Einstein’s scribbled theory of happiness fetches over $1M

He is known as one of the great minds in 20th- century science. But this week, Albert Einstein is making headlines for his advice on how to live a happy life, and a tip that paid off.

In November 1922, Einstein was travelling from Europe to Japan for a speaking tour when he learned he’d been awarded the Nobel Prize in physics. The award recognized his contributions to theoretical physics.

Thousands f l ocked to catch a glimpse of the Nobel laureate. Impressed but also embarrassed by the publicity, Einstein tried to write down his thoughts from his hotel room. When a messenger arrived with a delivery, Einstein found himself without any money for a tip. Instead, Einstein wrote two short notes and handed them to the messenger.

Those autographed notes, in which Einstein offered his thoughts on how to live a happy and fulfilling life, sold at a Jerusalem auction house Tuesday f or a combined US$1.8 million.

“A calm and modest life brings more happiness than the pursuit of success combined with constant restlessness,” read one of the notes.

It sold for US$ 1.56 million. The letter had been estimated to sell for between $ 5,000 and $ 8,000, according to the Winner’s Auctions and Exhibitions’ website.

Gal Wiener, CEO of the auction house, said the bidding on that note began at $ 2,000 and continued to escalate for about 25 minutes, AP reported.

“When t here’s a will, there’s a way,” read the other note, written on a blank sheet of paper. That note sold for US$ 240,000 and was initially estimated to sell for a high of $6,000.

The seller was reported to be a relative of the messenger.