Man Wins Nearly $300 Million Lottery And Donates Nearly All Of It To Saving The Earth

A man who won nearly AU $300 million in the lottery has donated almost all of his prize money to a foundation dedicated to saving the environment.

According to the French newspaper Le Parisien, the man took out the EuroMillions' top prize back in December 2020.

He said he dreamt of winning the jackpot solely to support his foundation.

In an open letter on his foundation’s website, he said: “I only played during the important jackpots, for one purpose: to devote the major part of this sum to the creation of a foundation”.

While most people would spend the money on fast cars, holiday homes and private jets, the anonymous multi-millionaire said he has no interest in such luxury items.

Alamy

Instead, he wishes to use the money for ‘the protection and revitalisation of forests, the preservation and regeneration of biodiversity and the support of family caregivers’.

The man, who goes by the nickname ‘Guy’, also added: “During my life, I have witnessed in Côte d’Ivoire the incessant passage of trucks loaded with trees cut in the forests of Burkina Faso. This ballet of trucks marked me a lot, indignant."

Guy confirmed he ‘transmitted’ most of his earnings after promising he would donate ‘gradually almost all of it' to his organisation a couple of years ago.

Guy’s foundation Anyama, is the same name of an Ivorian town near Abidjan where he once lived. 

Despite his winnings, the Frenchman also said he wants to continue living his life ‘peacefully’.

Alamy

While it's not rare for winners to donate their reward, the lottery company Française des Jeux, where Guy scored a winning ticket, noted it’s the largest sum of money directed towards a noble cause.

“It’s not uncommon for the winners to be generous, but what’s a first is the proportion of the prize paid to a philanthropic cause.”

Similarly, after winning a $40 million prize back in 2013, a Canadian man donated all of his money to cancer foundations in honour of his late wife, who died from the disease.

Tom Crist told the CBC at the time: “It’s very, very, very important.

“Because, you know, we lost a wife, a mom and a grandma. She beat it for a while, six years, and it finally caught up with her.”

A very important act indeed.