Soon to be Millionaire Paul the Octopus
Before the World Cup started, few could have foretold that one of the biggest winners of the tournament would be a psychic octopus. But now Paul, who correctly predicted the outcome of eight matches in a row, is on course to be the world's first millionaire octopus.
The mystic mollusc is retiring from the prediction business while he's ahead, his owner Sea Life announced on Tuesday. But as the company considers offers to "spread Paul's fame even further, without involving the canny cephalod directly" marketing experts say it could earn millions by selling his image for advertising products and services.
PR guru Max Clifford, best known for generating tabloid headlines such as "Freddie Starr ate my hamster," believes Paul, who was born in England, has ended his soothsaying days at exactly the right time. "Obviously his 100 percent record is remarkable but the minute he gets it wrong it all disappears," Clifford told CNN.
Now Paul could star in light-hearted commercials. "If you get it right, and remember Paul has had worldwide success ... you're talking about an earning potential of £2 or £3 million (up to $4.5 million), maybe more. It's got to bring a smile to everybody's face. You've got the world's first multimillion-pound octopus here.
Calamari
