Fast confession - Karel Janeček: My wife accepted my lover in a big way

Why do you think they are writing and talking about you like they might about a billionaire eccentric?

I am not excited about being labelled as a billionaire, because that is not essential at all. It’s probably right because it’s true and it’s interesting for many people. And because I’m that eccentric? I don’t know why they write all this about me. Most likely because I do a lot of things that are outside the comfort zone, such as parachute jumping, gymnastics, and so on.

You do a lot of sports. You also undertake adrenaline sports. Is there any kind of sporting activity that you would not want to go for? Something that is really too adrenaline - even for you?

Too adrenaline? I don’t know. I guess I would not try just anything to risk my life.

Is parachute jumping not too risky?

When you actually have it under control, the risks become minimal.

What is your biggest hobby?

When I was 40.5 years old I first started with sports gymnastics.

That’s pretty late to be starting with gymnastics isn’t it?

At least I can prove that it’s possible! At that time I did not really know how to do a handstand nor how to do a somersault.

Did your parents spoil you?

They definitely didn’t.

And do you spoil your children?

I don’t think so.

What were you like as a student?

I was a good student, but I did not do so well in the Czech language. I was studying the Czech language intensly a week before graduating and nevertheless I obtained excellent from all the other subjects but only good from Czech.

Have you always been good in maths?

Yes. I had known that I’d be a mathematician since when I was five.

Are you expecting that your children will also be good at maths?

I do not expect anything from them - it will be entirely their own free choice. I have two daughters and now a little son too, who is obviously a genius (laughing). As for my daughters, one is oriented towards exact sciences while the other one is not.

Do you not worry about when your daughters will be introducing their partners to you? How do you think you will react to the potential grooms?

I have not been busy imagining that just yet. Of course, if they brought someone home whose character I didn’t like I would definitely not become overly excited.

You are known as a supporter of polygamy. What if your daughters found men who like polygamy and this made them unhappy? How would you react as a father?

Why should they look for a partner who practices polygamy and be unhappy? It makes no sense. And to correct you, I am not a supporter of polygamy, but of personal freedom. People can live as they want to. If there is a woman who has two men, so be it. If my daughter finds a man who will also have another woman, and she will be happy, that’s great. If she should be unhappy, most probably she will leave.

Some women go for it however, because they think they can do it, but then they find that they can’t.

This represents 5an educational failure. People tend to lie to themselves. When a woman thinks that she can change a man it is a mistake. This is sad but I believe that it will not happen to my daughters. They know my philosophy, they know how I do things. Information is always available but it is important not to lie to oneself.

You got married two years ago. Are you still happily married now?

I’m still happily married (laughing). But that does not mean I’m monogamous. At present I also live with another woman and I am happy.

For how long?

For months.

Does your wife know about it?

Yes, she does.

And are all three of you happy in this way?

I’m not saying it’s easy.

So does it mean that one of those women is not happy?

My wife accepted it in a very beautiful way.

Is she the type who tolerates this?

Not really, but now it’s good.

If I look at it from your position always comforting someone it’s probably not the ideal situation either.

Of course it does not work forever. The point is for people to be educated and do not lie to themselves. There are risks. Not everything comes out and it can also simply come out wrong, but it’s just the same for monogamous relationships. We live in a world that is rich, and I believe it is important that we open ourselves-up to this richness.

How do you practice holidays? Are you going for it with one woman and then moving-on to another woman?

I would not want to go into such details regarding my personal life (laughing).

Well. From mathematics we have now got to politics. You have Democracy 21 and President 21 projects. Why 21?

There are a lot of reasons. I say that 21 is the most interesting number and that it is the number for our universe.

Why?

I have come to it in stages. It is connected with Platonic solids and other similar matters. We are living in the 21st Century and I am convinced that within a few years an enormous global social change will take place. I think of it as representing social singularity. We live in a lot of crises; whether ecological, social, political and so on... It is impossible to continue in this manner. Catharsis will come. This may be a collapse that we have had in the past – i.e. there was a war and the people who were involved in it recovered. If the collapse were to come now, we might become extinct which would be simply disastrous. I believe we have unique things and we live in a time that has not yet been and we have the technology that we need including the Internet and smartphones and we can connect and communicate and that is unique. We have the opportunity to make a collective evolutionary jump and work together more. This could be in 2021 perhaps.

What goal do you pursue with Democracy 21?

I developed Democracy 21 as an electoral system in 2013. There is a multi-vote effect, which is crucial for politics. This is what the power of Democracy 21 brings about. Every voter has more voices. I developed it because I realised that it is important which people are elected. They often go into politics with selfish intentions, such as wanting to maximise their own power and grab money. It is related to the style that those people are chosen for, that is crucial. If Democracy 21 were to be implemented as an electoral system, it would simply represent a revival of democracy. And that’s the goal, and that’s why I’m developing it. Last year the idea of ​​the President 21 application appeared. The goal is to promote social games and for people to be able to find a way to connect with and to trust each other. Human engagement is important. Democracy 21 is now present in thirty cities in the Czech Republic and also elsewhere in the world. This leads directly to the application of this system in politics, so that the Parliament will then be elected in this manner. This will complete the change.

When do you think this will happen?

There are different variants. Perhaps the next parliamentary elections will be held in accordance with Democracy 21. I believe in it. People are getting acquainted with that voting and are finding out that it is good and that they really can influence something. 

Would you stand for president?

No (laughing).

What does money mean for you?

For me money means energy, possibilities and freedom. But what is a mistake is to make freedom dependent on money. Our society is not working well and there is a lot of injustice. It is true that if one does not have money, he or she can easily become a victim of mischief, while when he or she does have it, s/he can defend himself/herself. Money is energy for me because it allows me to do the things I do; it would not be possible for me without it. If a person does not have a lot of money s/he cannot fulfil the vision. One must have both physical strength and financial strength.

What would you advise people to do to get rich? How to do it?

The universal advice is to be happy and not to get rich. Personal happiness is connected with money so that when one has money, s/he is happy, but it applies only to a certain extent. When a person has too much money, s/he is less happy. The higher middle class is the happiest; when one has more money, it becomes limiting. Having your life’s goal making as much money as possible represents absolute despair. But I do have advice for you on how to be happy. Think about what you enjoy. Happiness means creativity, one creates who she is. I think it is crucial to link our rational thinking with both intuition and emotion. Think about things, but also open yourself to your own feelings. The synergy that arises from that is enormous.

What would you recommend Czechs to invest in next year?

’Currently I am not following any financial markets, so that’ represents a tough question. I do not want to say what you should invest in then it will inevitably become an unsuccessful investment... (laughing). I have invested in a wide portfolio of assets including stocks, bonds and so on, and I even have bitcoins.

What would you not bet a crown at?

What I definitely do not believe in is a person who wants to be happy and strives to achieve this by wanting to have as much power and money as possible.

Can you imagine life without money? That you would lose your property, get a minimum wage, live in a blockhouse...

Well, I guess I would have to, but I would not want it. I believe I could be happy anyway, but it would be bad.

Would you start to do business again?

I do not know what I would do, but I would definitely try to live somehow and somewhere.

Where do you see yourself in ten years time?

I do not know except that it’s too far ahead (laughing).

So in five.

In four, in 2021 (laughing). I see myself as a person who will travel a lot, lecture, connect people and help people of different cultures to talk together.