A man donates a part of AED797 million winnings to save the planet

A man from France has decided to dedicate most of the $217 million (AED797 m) lottery jackpot winnings to a nature foundation he created.

The gentleman, nicknamed “Guy” by the French lottery group Françaises des Jeux (FDJ), won the sum back in December 2020. During that time, the jackpot was the largest in the history of EuroMillions.

“From my point of view, the priority today is saving the planet. We must act. It is an absolute emergency. If nothing is done in this regard, all other actions will be in vain. We will no longer exist,” Guy said.

Recalling the moment of his win, Guy said he could still remember his doubts and disbelief. Once it became clear he was indeed the winner, he decided to put the money to good use.

“The minute I found out I was the lucky winner of the EuroMillions, I had the will to share my luck,” he said.

He was already determined to create his own foundation at the time of his win, according to a statement from FDJ.

The result is Anyama, a foundation named after a town in Côte d’Ivoire where he spent several years during his childhood, he said.

“I have passed on most of my prize money and will gradually give away almost all of it,” he said.

The Anyama foundation website explained it was Guy’s memory of watching trucks loaded with trees in Côte d’Ivoire which motivated him to create an environmental foundation.

“This procession of trucks left a deep impression on me and filled me with outrage,” he said.

The lottery group FDJ welcomed Guy’s decision to donate most of his prize to saving the environment, the group’s spokesperson Thibault Mongis said calling it an exceptional and generous gesture.

Guy’s winning combination in 2020 was 6, 9, 13, 24, 41 and lucky star numbers 3 and 12, according to the FDJ statement at the time.

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