"By the end of 2006 it was generally believed that Perelman’s proof was correct. That year, the journal Science named Perelman’s proof the “Breakthrough of the Year.” Like Smale and Freedman before him, the forty-year old Perelman was tapped to be a Fields Medals recipient for his contributions to the Poincaré conjecture (in fact, Thurston also received a Fields Medal for his work that indirectly led to the final proof). The countdown for the $1 million prize had begun (some wonder if Perelman and Hamilton will be offered the prize jointly)."