Euromillions winner to donate €50m to charity

A French Euromillions winner has decided to give at least €50m of his €72m jackpot to charity.

It is believed to be among the largest donations ever by a lottery winner.

The unmarried man who is aged in his 50s and from Haute Garonne decided to remain anonymous when his numbers came up in February.

He will divide the money among a dozen major national associations for the disadvantaged.

He has made only one stipulation — that he is informed how his donations are used.

February’s €72,149,579 jackpot was the seventh- largest won by someone in France in Euromillions history.

French newspapers are hailing it as “an incredible act of generosity,” while social media is awash with praise for the “lucky man”.

Francaise des Jeux (FDJ), the organisation that runs the trans-national lottery in France, said of the winner: “He has a strong sense of social solidarity and he believes in generosity.”

In December 2013, a recently retired Canadian donated all the €28m he won on the lottery to charity.

His wife had died in February 2012, so he split the money between the health facility that cared for her, and the Canadian Cancer Society.

He told Radio Canada: “I do not need the money. I’m lucky. I’m happy to have won the money and I’m happy to be able to give.”