The story calls him a "A $5-an-hour office supply store salesman", so at 2,000 hours a year it's $10,000. That makes the gross prize money five times his salary

The story calls him a "A $5-an-hour office supply store salesman", so at 2,000 hours a year it's $10,000. That makes the gross prize money five times his salary. He could easily have paid for someone to attend Harvard on the prize money (https://www.thecrimson.com/article/1990/3/20/ivy-tuition-rates-rise-pivy-league/ https://www.thecrimson.com/article/1990/3/20/ivy-tuition-rat...).