"Most of my friends were supportive. Some of my marginal acquaintances were jealous," he said.
But the news came as a surprise to everyone. Despite the fact that he knew about his million-dollar win for almost two weeks, Oberholtzer said he did not tell anyone--not even his parents.
"I wanted everybody that watched the show to have the same sense of nervousness and excitement and the same degree of tension that comes with each question," he said. "It's not as much fun when you know the final answer."
McKee Colsman, a second-year law student, said he was familiar with Oberholtzer because he knows people who work for Stutman, Treister and Gatt, a law firm in Los Angeles which recently gave the winner a job offer.
When told of Oberholtzer's recent earnings, Colsman remarked, "Someone better tell Stutman."
Chandler and others said they knew what they would do if they won that much money.
"What a sensible idea [to appear on the show]--bloody hell," Chandler said. "I would presume he's leaving the law school now."
"Twenty One" is a remake of a 1950s game show that was mired in scandal. It became the focus of the popular 1994 movie, Quiz Show, starring Ralph Fiennes and John Turturro.