“It Cost Me 50 Cents”: An American Man Once Received Wayne Gretzky’s Contact Number for a Petty Sum

What is the luckiest thing that could ever happen to someone? While there could be a million answers to the question, finding the contact information of a world-famous athlete for 50 cents would definitely be one of them. The Goddess of Luck shined bright on this common man one day, when he randomly found none other than Wayne Gretzky‘s contact information, after paying peanuts.

Not only did the man find the NHL legend’s number practically for free, but the way it happened sounded almost impossible. The man must have woken up on the right side of his bed that day! What was the happenstance that led to this unbelievable coincidence?

The 50-cent mobile phone that housed the contact of Wayne Gretzky

A man hailing from Provo, Utah, had something most wonderful happen to him in the year 2010. Like any other person on the planet, he went to the thrift store to buy a cell phone. But what happened next separated him from the rest of us. The man plugged in the phone and found a list containing the contacts of various famous personas, one of them being Wayne Gretzky.

Read more: “We Were Quite Worried”: Wayne Gretzky Became a Victim of Unruly Crowd Behavior During Childhood, Revealed His Coach in 1974

Well, guess what he paid for the phone? According to KSL.com, 50 cents. His reaction was, ironically, priceless. He exclaimed, “I went up and paid for it, and it cost me 50 cents.” So he paid basically nothing for information people would pay millions for! One lucky chap. After powering up the phone and going through it, he finally realized who was in possession of the gadget before him. “I went home and powered it on and looked at the name. It was Dave Checketts. I didn’t think there were too many Dave Checketts in the Salt Lake area.”

Turns out the phone belonged to David W. Checketts, the famous American Businessman and Sports Executive. Having ties with the sports world, it is not surprising that he would have the contacts of some famous athletes. According to KSL, the list included big names like Wayne Gretzky, Patrick Ewing, Alan Houston, Bud Selig, David Stern, Marv Albert, Tom Brokaw, and Jerry Colangelo. And what did the man do with the phone?

A noble and considerate fan

The phone actually contained private information about Checketts, including personal emails about player trades. Anyone would pay a hefty amount to get their hands on that private information. The Utah man was faced with a moral dilemma, but he took the high road. “I could sell it on eBay. I could go to ESPN. I could go to a lot of people, but that’s not who I am. My parents taught me to be honest, and that’s what I’m going to do.”

KSL contacted Checketts via a phone call and apprised him of the situation. Needless to say, he was happy to get the phone back. While the man’s excitement was short-lived, his principles made him a better man than many out there who would use the opportunity to make a quick buck.

Watch This Story: This NHL Player Makes a Bold Statement by Keeping These Two Players Ahead of the Goat Wayne Gretzky

Would you return a phone containing the contact information of your favorite athlete?