Earning money is difficult for many people around the world, as you would have to work hard at a job you are hired in, do your best in selling products in your business, or just simply be clever in finding ways to get cash for you or your family. While most of us are struggling to provide money for ourselves and for our loved ones, there are some people throughout the years that have been able to get more money than what they need, and a few of them have actually accumulated a staggering amount of cash in just one day. Here is a list of people who became millionaires overnight.
Saniniu Laizer (Tanzania)
Saniniu Laizer became a millionaire overnight when he was able to mine the world’s largest rough tanzanite on June 24, 2020. Before we get further into Mr. Laizer’s story, let us discuss the value of tanzanite first. Tanzanite is a rare variety of the mineral zoisite and is often blue and violet in color. This wonderful mineral can only be found in the country of Tanzania, specifically in a minuscule mining area near the Mererani Hills, which could explain why it is rare and valuable. Mr. Laizer was able to mine two stones that weigh 5.1 kilograms and 9.72 kilograms and sold them to the Government of Tanzania for 7.74 billion Tanzanian shillings ($3.35 million).
Dave Gehle (USA)
Dave Gehle, an employee at ConAgra Foods, won a 2006 lottery in his hometown in Nebraska with a grand prize of $365 million. Unlike many other lottery winners who would spend most of their winnings in one night or forever change their lives, Dave Gehle actually lived the same life he was living before he won the lottery. According to news reports, Gehle kept his job and remained in his home in Nebraska instead of buying a new home. With the money that he won, he bought a car that he utilized in order to get to work faster, as well as a snowblower that he used to get rid of snow in his yard and to also help neighbors who have the same problem during the winter.
Eric Tse (Hong Kong)
Eric Tse became well-known for being richer than Donald Trump in just one night, and this mind-boggling feat happened when Tse’s parents gifted him a one-fifth of stake in their family’s pharmaceuticals company. The said company, which is officially called Sino Biopharmaceutical, is estimated to be worth more than $8.5 billion. The one-fifth stake given to Eric Tse is worth around $3.8 billion, and he is currently assigned to be the executive director of the company.
Anandilal Kushwaha (India)
Anandilal Kushwaha owns a lease of a shallow mine in the Panna district in the Madhya Pradesh state of India. Little did he know that having a lease on such a small mine would actually make him a millionaire overnight. It was in his mine that a 10.69-carat diamond was collected, which is arguably one of the best-mined diamonds in the world. The diamond was sold for more than 5 million Indian Rupees in 2020.
Cameron Winklevoss (USA)
Cameron Winklevoss, along with his identical twin brother Tyler, won a $20 million settlement after that sued and accused Mark Zuckerberg of stealing the idea of the brothers’ ConnectU website to create Facebook, which is highly regarded as one of the biggest social media platforms in the world today. Most of the money that they have collected from the settlement was used to invest $11 million in Bitcoin in 2011, a decision that the brothers were criticized and mocked by many investors and business experts. However, the value of Bitcoin went up to ridiculous prices a few years after, and it is estimated that the value of the twin’s cryptocurrency holding is at $1.4 billion, which is a lot more than what they used to buy Bitcoin.
Harikrishnan V Nair (UAE)
A business development manager named Harikrishnan V Nair won in a lottery in the UAE that has the top prize of 12 million Dirhams. The Indian ex-pat living in Abu Dhabi was ecstatic that he won such a large amount of money in the lottery, which is why he immediately called his wife, who was once skeptical about Nair wasting his money on lottery tickets. According to Nair, he bought three lottery tickets, and the third ticket won him the grand prize.
Josua Hutagalung (Indonesia)
We all know about the saying that you should wish for whatever you want when you see a shooting, but did you know that getting or collecting a piece of shooting can actually make your wish come true? An Indonesian villager by the name of Josua Hutagalung could not believe at first that a piece of rock could make him a millionaire in his country.
When telling his story, Hutagalung, who works as a coffin maker in Sumatra, stated that it was in early August when he heard a loud crashing noise from his house. The noise was made by a small and warm rock that pierced through the roof of his home. Upon inspecting it, the man already knew that what he was holding was a 2-kilogram meteorite, as it is impossible for any human to throw a stone on the roof of the house at such amazing speed and force that it can pierce through metal roofing. With the help of American meteorite enthusiast Jared Collins, Hutagalung was able to sell the meteorite for an undisclosed amount, but many speculated that he received about $1.8 million for the purchase.
Marv Doniger (USA)
Marv Doniger became an overnight millionaire when he won a lawsuit that gave him $3.3 million. The lawsuit was created after Doniger’s physician failed to recognize his cancer. This medical malpractice lawsuit then won him $3.3 million, and some of the law money was used to buy two pet poodles and a car. In addition, Doniger also created a trust firm for his grandchildren in hopes that his precious loved ones would never suffer from not having enough money in the future.
These are eight people that became millionaires overnight. Of course, we shouldn’t rely on luck in order to be rich, as we also need to apply hard work and perseverance if we truly want to succeed in life. But, if you have the budget, you can try joining lotteries to see if luck would come your way.