A Russian blogger photographed him in the St. Petersburg subway; in the photos he appears with disheveled hair, an unkempt beard and old shoes, which might lead some to mistake him for a beggar.
The Clay Institute awarded him a million-dollar prize for his solution to the Poincaré conjecture, but Perelman declined, saying, “If the solution is right, there is no need for any other recognition.” To date, the Poincaré conjecture remains the only solved Millennium Problem.
Perelman has given up his place in modern science, despite being considered one of the world’s leading mathematicians, and has refused all contact with colleagues. His case is a reminder that great scientific achievements often involve loneliness.
In St. Petersburg, some young people wear T-shirts with his photo and the phrase: “You can’t buy everything.”
Ignoring the norms of the scientific community, Perelman has achieved the highest level of his work while leading a hermit’s life, in solitude