Who has never wondered what they would do with their jackpot if they won the lottery jackpot? Sports cars, travel, luxury homes and gifts to loved ones… In general, the goods obtained thanks to these jackpots are used to finance the purchase of luxury items and harmful overconsumption to the planet. Therefore, the story of this retiree from the south of France, who won the jackpot in 2020 earning 200 million thanks to the Euromillion, is surprising. With the money won, the anonymous decided to set up a foundation to “protect the living”.
Eighteen months ago, the Euromillion winner announced that he wanted to donate a large part of his profits to a good cause: the protection of nature. His promise was not unfulfilled. In May 2021, the time had come when the statutes of his new Foundation were filed in the Official Gazette. Her name ? Anyama, as a tribute to the village of Ivory Coast where he spent part of his childhood.
On the website of his Foundation, he confides: “During my life in Ivory Coast, I have witnessed the incessant passage of trucks laden with felled trees in the forests of Burkina Faso, formerly Upper Volta. This ballet of trucks has touched me deeply, indignantly.”
Asked by the Parisian in his approach he specifies his ambition to “support and trade with those who want to protect the living and the links that connect people and nature in the long term”† “I have passed on most of my winnings and will gradually give away almost everything”he announced to the newspaper.
A chance in 140 million
The former retired executive is an occasional player. He generally fills his grid by combining lucky numbers and others chosen at random… His chances of hitting the 200 million jackpot (a record for the time)? One in 140 million! Karma maybe?
On the Anyama website, the anonymous explains:
“In December 2020 I was lucky enough to win the lottery. I only played during major jackpots, with only one goal: to spend the majority of this amount on creating a foundation. It has never been my dream to buy boats, castles or other sports cars, it is to be useful and give meaning to this money, with maximum positive impact. So that’s what I’m doing today by creating Anyama, which is in the interest of the common good of all, with one password: to protect the living. To me, this is the urgency of our time and certainly of the coming years, for the sake of future generations.”
The Foundation focuses its efforts on three priority areas of support, in France (Mainland and Overseas): the protection and revitalization of forests, the conservation and restoration of biodiversity, and support for carers. Because, as the founder of Anyama points out, “Carers are an indispensable link in our society. Guiding them also means protecting the living within each of us.”
And you, what would you do with your newfound fortune?