Hachem talks poker and finance
Australian champion Joe Hachem has been talking about the financial freedom that playing poker has awarded him.
The poker star won last year’s World Series of Poker (WSP) title in Las Vegas, netting him $7.5 million, and controls all his own finances with the help of an accountant and financial adviser.
In an interview with the Times newspaper, Hachem describes himself as “a spender by nature”, but claims to have started saving and being more responsible with his cash over the past three years or so.
Hachem, a former mortgage broker and chiropractor, did not turn pro until 2004 and made most of his early money on the internet. He is now sponsored by a number of companies, but still makes the majority of his earnings from the game.
The Australian player said that he spent his WSP 2005 winnings on paying his mortgage, taking his family round the world and buying a diamond ring for his wife Jeanie.
The son of Lebanese immigrants, Hachem has always earned a “decent living” and now owns a number of investment properties in Melbourne, a stock market investment portfolio and a large family home. He admitted his spending weaknesses are watches and clothes
Hachem is now one of the best-known faces in the game and has appeared on a number of television shows. He lives in Melbourne, Australia, with his wife and their four sons.