His regret could have been immense. Wanted by the French Games (FDJ) for long weeks, the lucky winner of 4.5 million euros, during the draw for the euromillions on July 12, he was finally able to recoup his profit. As we wrote two weeks ago, was very close, since this man appeared in the last hours before the deadline to collect the pot, set for Friday, September 9, at 11:59 p.m. But we still didn’t know the reason for this barely believable cliffhanger.
Within a declaration published this Tuesday, the FDJ group tells this incredible story and its happy ending. It all starts when the lucky man validates his ticket during his vacation, at a tobacconist’s in Puy-Saint-Vincent (Hautes-Alpes), while his wife takes information from the local tourist office.
After having spent “a magnificent stay” in the region, without worrying about the draw of the great lottery, the couple returns home without suspecting a moment of the happy news. Everything is finally decided on September 9, when the winner of the ticket, who does not know himself yet, orders a kebab in a restaurant in his city.
While waiting for his food, the man decides to go to a nearby outlet to have his receipt verified. euromillions, not knowing that it is the last day before the deadline. After two months of ignoring his earnings, he hears the wonderful news from the retailer, before picking up his kebab and eating a few bites, eager to break the news to his wife.
“A golden kebab”
At home, the latter questions her husband after seeing the leftover kebabs in the fridge, when he does not usually eat this type of dish. The sixty-year-old then tells her crazy story, telling her: “You’re not going to believe me, it’s a golden kebab. To prolong the suspense, he likes to have his wife gradually guess the amount of the prize.
After the euphoria, the couple discovers that the FDJ has launched a wanted notice to find the French winner and the media relay. “Ay anyway!” he said, dumbfounded, turning to his wife. “I won everything, but in a few hours I might as well have lost everything,” he said later. Before cashing in his winnings, the man decides to carefully store his ticket in the case of a GPS.
In its press release, the FDJ specifies that the winner, who wishes to remain anonymous, “keeps playing” and “wants to help his loved ones, afford a new primary residence, travel to South America and discover beautiful tables with his family” . “This gain above all will offer us lightness and choice,” he said.