爱因斯坦“幸福论”便笺拍出130万美元高价

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In 1922, German-born scientist Albert Einstein was traveling to Tokyo when he found out he had earned the Nobel Prize in Physics.

While in Japan, Einstein stayed at Tokyo’s Imperial Hotel. During his stay, a hotel worker came to Einstein’s room to make a delivery. Einstein found himself without any money to give the man as a tip for his services.

So, instead of money, the famous scientist handed the hotel worker a signed note with a sentence he wrote in German. It read: “A calm and humble life will bring more happiness than the pursuit of success and the constant restlessness that comes with it.”

He gave him another note that read: “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

Both notes were written on the Imperial Hotel’s notepaper.

Einstein reportedly advised the man to keep the notes, saying they may one day be worth more than any tip he could give him.

The hotel worker must have listened to Einstein’s advice.

Ninety-five years later, the hotel worker’s nephew contacted Winner’s Auctions and Exhibitions, an auction company in Israel.

On Tuesday, the notes were put on auction in Jerusalem. The price for the happiness note started at $2,000. About 25 minutes later, it sold to the highest bidder.

That person, who was not named, agreed to pay $1.3 million dollars.

The second signed Einstein note sold for over $200,000.

Einstein may be best known for his theory of relativity. In fact, the winners of this year’s Nobel Prize for Physics earned the award for measuring gravitational waves -- an important part of Einstein’s theory.

But now, his one-sentence theory of happiness is famous, as well.

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I'm Ashley Thompson.

Reuters reported this story. Ashley Thompson adapted it, with additional reporting from the Associated Press. Hai Do was the editor.