Man Wins Almost $300 Million Lottery And Donates To Save The Earth

A man won a whopping prize worth AU $300 million in the lottery and has reportedly donated almost all of his lottery money to a foundation that is dedicated to saving the environment.

French newspaper Le Parisien says the unknown man took the EuroMillions' top prize back in December 2020.

The man told that he dreamt of winning the big prize solely for the purpose of supporting the foundation. 

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The man wrote an open to the foundation on its website, it 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 it is usually observed that people spend their money on their lavish lifestyle or buy other luxury items, this anonymous multi-millionaire cleared that he has no interest in such luxury items.

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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."

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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’.

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Even though donating a part of their reward is not uncommon, 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.”

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A similar case happened back in 2013 when 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.”