EuroMillions Record-Jackpot Winner

La Francaise des Jeux announced a clean winner from Friday 3 Feb’s EuroMillions record Jackpot Draw. Eric is a 30 year old from the world-renowned spa town of Evian, but worked as an assistant Maitre D’ of a hotel in Geneva at the other end of Lac Leman (Geneva) to Evian. His win was made public as he dined at the exclusive Ritz in Paris on Sunday evening (5/2/06) after he had telephoned his employers to say he would be quitting his job. As could be expected, his colleagues and boss have sent their best wishes!

Eric knew on Friday that he had the winning numbers when he watched the draw on the French TV station TF1, but he went on the Internet to check with FDJ (La Francaise des Jeux, the French National Lottery operator, like Camelot in the UK). Describing the moment as “le plus beau jour de ma vie” i.e. the best day of his life, Eric remained calm as he thought about how he would spend his 61 million Euros win, and even went into work at the hotel as normal on the Saturday morning. But, just to make sure there was no doubt, his father checked the numbers at his local newsagent in Evian. The owner of the newsagents, Monsieur Larpin was very excited after he had checked with the lottery operator and had it confirmed that a winning ticket had been bought in his shop. By lunchtime on Saturday a poster declaring a local winner was up in the shop window. Eric regularly played the EuroMillions lottery buying three tickets and spending 6 Euros each week.

His first plan is to escape for three weeks in the sun with his girlfriend who recently lost her job. Eric is fully aware that he’ll be getting lots of calls and pleas for money, but he had always said that if he did win the lottery he would give money to an ONG for sick children.

The other French winner, who is still remaining anonymous, bought their ticket at the Gare Du Nord in Paris, and even though this 61 Million Euros win is huge, it is not the record for a French winner. The record is 75million Euros won by an anonymous player on 16 September 2005.

9 Feb, 2006