The special theory (among other goodies), but I am willing to bet nobody was investing more quality time at that problem at that year(Theoretical physics was a

The special theory (among other goodies), but I am willing to bet nobody was investing more quality time at that problem at that year(Theoretical physics was a game played in a few European cities). For the General Theory he spent 10 years (1905-1915), he worked at the patent office until 1909, and even yet, he got almost scooped by Hilbert.