April 10, 2007 - 2005 WSOP
champion relocates his family out of fear
An
Australian news source (Daily
Telegraph) has recently reported several updates
regarding news of former WSOP
Champion (2005), Joseph Hachem receiving threatening letters
and phone calls to his residence.
This
news source reported yesterday that The Champ has
relocated out of fear for his family’s safety.
Hachem said he was naïve in thinking that his life would
not change much after winning the 2005 main event. In the
past two years Hachem has won close to $10 Million dollars
and this has elevated him to a level of fame he had not
expected.
He
was quoted in an interview just before the PokerStars.com
European Poker Tour Finale as saying:
"You get a few phone calls,
you get a letter in the mail and you think, 'You know
what, I don't need this'."
"We've just bought a house
recently, more for security reasons because my address was
public knowledge," Mr Hachem said.
He also said that
“unfortunately” he has had a few threats on his life since
winning the 2005 main event.
Hachem travels to Vegas and
other parts of the world regularly to compete in high
stake poker events and at most tournaments he is accompanied
by his wife Jeannie and their four children who are
between the ages of 11 and 16.
The Telegraph's article
concludes with this quote from Hachem:
"It was definitely life
changing, but the funny thing is I didn't expect it. I
just thought I'd be world champion, get a nice endorsement
and go back to my normal life. Bulls..t, there's nothing
normal about my life these days."