My-flight-U-turned-midair-as-war-broke-out-Now-Im.jpeg

My flight U-turned midair as war broke out. Now I’m stranded in Doha, and it feels like Covid.

by with No Comment Xpandfy

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Peter Wozny, head of legal at Btomorrow Ventures, the corporate VC arm of British American Tobacco. This piece has been edited for length and clarity.

I was flying home to Europe over the weekend from a business trip in China, connecting through Qatar, when my journey took an unexpected turn.

I landed in Doha in the early hours of Saturday morning, made my transfer, and boarded the onward flight. We took off as normal at 9:15 a.m. local time.

About an hour later, everything changed. As we approached the airspace between Israel and Iran, the plane abruptly turned around and headed back to Doha.

When we landed, we sat on the tarmac for roughly 90 minutes as the crew tried to figure out the next steps. Eventually, they sent us back into the terminal.

By then, anxiety had started to spread. Passengers were glued to their phones, reading reports that war had broken out that morning.


Peter Wozny boarded a flight to Warsaw at Doha's Hamad International Airport on February 28.

Peter Wozny boarded a flight to Warsaw at Doha’s Hamad International Airport early on Saturday morning.

Courtesy of Peter Wozny



Stranded in Doha

Inside the airport, it was chaotic.

Since I was traveling for work, I headed to the Al Mourjan Business Lounge, where I ran into my friend Stuart. We ended up waiting there for a few hours, trying to figure out what was happening.

While we were sitting there, we started hearing loud bangs outside. At first, I wasn’t sure what they were. Then it became clear they were missiles being fired. That’s when it really hit me — it felt ominous.


Stuart McClure and Peter Wozny at Doha's International Airport's lounge on February 28.

Stuart McClure and Peter Wozny at Doha’s International Airport’s lounge on February 28.

Courtesy of Peter Wozny



Qatar Airways moved us to the Fraser Suites in Doha’s West Bay area. It wasn’t great, so I decided to book my own room at the Mondrian Doha, where I’ve been staying since Sunday. It’s about $220 a night.

The authorities have said stranded passengers will be able to claim refunds for their hotel stays from Saturday until the airports reopen.

Once this is all over, I’ll need to submit expenses for flights, taxis, food, the hotel, and even basic things like toiletries and clothes.

For the first four days, we didn’t have our suitcases. I just had the clothes I was wearing and a rucksack with my work laptop.

The explosions woke me up

From the hotel, which overlooks Doha’s port, you can hear the explosions. You’ll be sitting there, and suddenly there are these loud bangs outside. Then you look up and see flashes lighting up the sky. It’s scary.

On Saturday night, I actually slept through most of the noise because I was exhausted.

But at 7:30 a.m. on Sunday, the noise woke me up. On other days, it’s sounded more distant, more muffled.

Sunday was noticeably quieter. From what I understand, Qatar has been intercepting missiles over the Gulf before they reach land. It’s not that they haven’t been fired — it’s that they’re being taken out at sea.

Even so, you can still hear them.


Stuart McClure and Peter Wozny in their hotel room on March 3.

Stuart McClure and Peter Wozny in their hotel room on Tuesday.

Courtesy of Peter Wozny



It feels a little bit like Covid

It feels a bit like lockdown. I’m stuck, and I don’t know what’s going on. I look out on the streets, and there are barely any cars driving around.

I feel nervous. A bit unsettled. I do feel safe, but I just don’t know what’s happening.

I’m generally a glass-half-full person, but all my plans have been turned upside down. I don’t know whether it’s going to be a few more days or a few more weeks stuck out here.


Peter Wozny and other flight passengers received alert messages upon returning to Doha.

Peter Wozny and other flight passengers received alert messages upon returning to Doha.

Courtesy of Peter Wozny



Reassuring friends and family

The hardest part has been friends and family constantly checking in. They’re obviously concerned and want to get updates.

They’re reading things in the news, and there’s misinformation out there. So you’re constantly responding to messages and telling everyone you’re OK.

That’s intense. But when you’re sitting in the hotel, and you’re just hearing explosions around, or you’re looking up, and you just see all the light, the sky kind of lighting up, it’s also a bit scary.


Peter Wozny in the Mondrian Doha Hotel on March 2

Peter Wozny is shown in the Mondrian Doha Hotel on Monday.

Courtesy of Peter Wozny



From my company’s perspective, the guidance has been straightforward: stay in touch, keep people updated, and don’t leave the hotel unless necessary.

Beyond that, we’re just waiting to see whether the situation escalates.

The last update from Qatar Airways was that there won’t be any flights out of Doha until at least Friday.

I’m now considering getting a car and driving to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, and then flying to London from there.

For now, I’m just hoping it doesn’t escalate further, that no one gets hurt, and I can head home soon.




Source link

I-won-28-million-in-the-Powerball-when-I-was.jpeg

I won $28 million in the Powerball when I was 21. One choice saved me from becoming a broke lottery winner.

by with No Comment Xpandfy

The holiday season may have most of us ready to slow down, but the stakes for Wednesday night’s Powerball are just heating up. The top prize for Wednesday night’s drawing is estimated to be $1.7 billion, making it the sixth-largest jackpot in Powerball history.

If there is a winner on Wednesday, it could feel like a Christmas miracle, but former Powerball winner, Timothy Shultz, said there’s also a slim chance of going broke within a few years, despite amassing that amount of wealth.

Schultz won $28 million in 1999 while working at a gas station and retired a multimillionaire by the age of 21. In an effort not to become one of the unfortunate winners who eventually lose it all, he put a specific plan in place.

Consulting wealth professionals is the first step Schultz took after winning the Powerball

“Suddenly, I’d gone from a gas station attendant to retired at 21,” Shultz told Business Insider in a 2024 interview. “I felt like I was holding a magic wand. Everything was possible, but I also wanted to be financially responsible.”

He said, “At 21, I had no idea what to do with that kind of money and was lucky I sought professional guidance. I didn’t want to become a statistic of lottery winners going broke within a few years.”

Before turning in the ticket, he said he consulted with wealth professionals to understand how much he could afford to spend and give to others. “I helped many people, but also wanted to live within my means.”

Investing the money helped him maintain his wealth

Before he received any of the money, he established a plan with advisors to invest it conservatively, ensuring the returns could last him a lifetime. “I mostly invested in stocks, bonds, and mutual funds,” he said.

Emily Irwin, a Wells Fargo advisor who guides lottery winners on how to spend their money, told Business Insider in a 2023 interview that this is exactly what winners should do.

She also advised assembling a team of financial planners as soon as possible and that, “You must carefully consider experts specializing in high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth tax planning.” Irwin also said winners should interview several candidates, as these advisors will most likely be in their lives for years.

Other ways the 1999 Powerball winner spent his money

The first thing Shultz purchased with the money was the latest video game system. A luxury, he said, he “couldn’t afford before winning.” The next thing he did was set up his investments.

After establishing his investments, Schultz said he helped his family, bought vehicles, and traveled. He even went back to college to study film and broadcast journalism, a dream come true for him

But after winning, and still being surrounded by other struggling college students, Shultz felt pressure to pay for friends’ vacations, meals, or anything they did together.

He said, “When you win the lottery, people don’t view the money as something you’ve earned. A family member explicitly told me I got something for nothing by winning the lottery and should keep giving them and others money.”

Despite his successful investments, he still has one regret

These days, Schultz said he spends most of his free time exercising and working on his podcast and YouTube channel, “Lottery, Dreams, and Fortune,” which highlights the story of other lottery winners. “YouTube brings in some money, but I can live off my investments,” he said.

Despite making great investment choices, Schultz still regrets overlooking one specific investment.”I wish I had invested in bitcoin a few years ago, but that’s my only regret about how I’ve spent the winnings,” he said.

Still, Shultz’s initial decision to seek professional financial help set him up for years of success.

Correction: December 23, 2025 —An earlier version of this story misstated the details of the next Powerball drawing. It is for $1.7 billion on Wednesday night.




Source link