Anonymous man from Haute-Garonne to share more than two-thirds of €72m lottery win with 10 charities

This article is more than 6 years old

This article is more than 6 years old

Amid all the gloom over a stagnating economy, serial scandals and a surge in support for the far-right, France finally has a good news story to celebrate.

A man who scooped more than €72m (£58.5m) on the EuroMillions lottery has decided to give €50m of it to charity.

In what the Le Parisien tabloid called an incredible act of generosity, the unidentified winner from the Haute-Garonne area of south-west France has said he will share his giveaway between about 10 non-governmental organisations working on behalf of the disadvantaged.

Francaise des Jeux (FDJ), the organisation that runs the transnational lottery in France, said the winner had asked to remain anonymous but the media reported that he was single, in his 50s and did not have any children.

"He has a strong sense of social solidarity and he believes in generosity," an FDJ spokesman said.

Social media was awash with praise for the man, hailed as "a class act" by numerous commentators on Twitter.

The sociologist Denis Muzet said the act of philanthropy could not have come at a better time for France.

"This individual is sending us a message: success in life is not about how much money you earn but about what you do for others," he told Le Parisien.

"In a society in crisis, in search of moral reference points, where money dominates everything, his action makes sense."