Paul Milgrom’s wife, who is in Stockholm, received a notification when Robert Wilson knocked on her door.
New Delhi:
American economist Paul Milgrom was informed that he won the Nobel Prize in economics with a knock on his door at 2:15 am. When the Nobel Prize committee was unable to reach him, Robert Wilson, who shared top honors with him, went to Milgrom’s home to share the incredible news.
Stanford University tweeted a video of Wilson, 83, ringing the doorbell of his 72-year-old Nobel partner and knocking on his door in the middle of the night.
They are both professors at Stanford and live on the same street.
Black and white security camera video shows Mr. Wilson and a woman, allegedly his wife, walking to Mr. Milgrom’s door and ringing the doorbell. Then knock on the door.
“Paul,” he calls while knocking on the door.
“Paul, I’m Bob Wilson,” he says while listening to a voice from within.
“You won the … you won the Nobel Prize,” continues Mr. Wilson, looking at the security camera. “So, they are trying to reach you, but they can’t. It seems they don’t have a number for you.”
“We gave them his cell phone number,” says Wilson’s wife.
“Yes, I have? Wow,” Mr. Milgrom can be heard saying.
“Will you answer your phone?” Asks Mr. Wilson’s wife.
the #Nobel Prize The committee was unable to reach Paul Milgrom to share the news that he won, so fellow winner and neighbor Robert Wilson knocked on his door in the middle of the night. pic.twitter.com/MvhxZcgutZ
– Stanford University (@Stanford) October 12, 2020
Stanford University said Paul Milgrom’s wife, who is in Stockholm, received a notification on her phone when Wilson knocked on her door. “She was able to see live how Wilson told Milgrom that he won the #NobelPrize,” the university tweeted.
The moving video has been retweeted more than 14,000 times and has received more than 62,000 ‘likes’.
Paul Milgrom and Robert Wilson won the Nobel Prize in economics for their work in commercial auctions, including hard-to-sell goods and services in traditional forms such as radio frequencies, the Nobel Committee said.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said the duo’s discoveries “have benefited sellers, buyers and taxpayers around the world,” it said in a statement.
The winners will share the prize of 10 million Swedish crowns (about 1.1 million dollars, 9.50,000 euros).
Speaking to reporters in Stockholm via telephone link, Wilson said the announcement had been “very happy news”, admitting that despite his investigative approach, he himself “had never participated in an auction.”
However, he quickly had to retract his statement. “My wife is pointing out that we bought ski boots on eBay, I guess it was an auction,” Wilson said.
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