"The bet" by Anton Chekhov. Basically, a reporter and a big businessman made a bet, that the businessman is going to fork over a million dollars to the reporter(or journalist) if the said journalist would spend a number of years in the prison, completely shielded from outside connection with humanity, but having access to unlimited amount of books, wine, etc. The journalist spent the first number of years playing the piano, and reading light books such as light commedy, etc. Later on he ensconced himself in deeper reading, dwelving into philosophies, language, and medicine. All in all, the business man has gone broke near the end of the reporter's "time" and planned to kill him in order to not humilite himself. He finds the reporter sitting in a chair (sleeping I think) and read a note next to him, stating that money is nothing but a mean of corruption, possessing no real value. Through all the information the journalist has gained he undestood the world's relationship to corruption and negativity. The business man of course couldn't care less and was glad to not have to pay the money.
Gould was active during the night mostly, preferring to sleep during day(that's what I remember from the video, "The shadow genius". He despised being out during the day and was very active at night, calling his friends and talking to them over the phone. As most people are active during the day, hence driving around, gould had to drive around at night because he was active at night.