Philippe Taurand repeats: “250 million euros”, “250 million euros”, “250 million euros.” Three times, as if dizzy. “No, but do you realize?” he moaned. He is not a banker, nor the CEO of a multinational, just a tobacconist. But it was at his home, in his tobacco shop in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, that this sum was won “completely crazy”. The biggest jackpot in the history of Française des jeux (FDJ). A little envious, the manager said again: “250 million euros, 250 million euros…”
The nine-figure prize pool was up for grabs on August 19, but information on the winners only leaked on Thursday, November 6. Special feature this time: there is not one winner, but five at once. Five friends, all from Ile-de-France. Among them, “at least one woman”. “During a lunch, this group, united for almost fifty years, took an unprecedented decision: to play together for the very first time for the exceptional jackpot of 250 million euros offered by EuroMillions, tells the FDJ, requested by franceinfo. Until then, the person responsible for the game had the habit of trying his luck only when the prize pool reached 50 million euros.”
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La Française des jeux, subject to confidentiality, does not wish to elaborate further on the profile of the players, who had sixty days to come forward from the announcement of the win. The company is simply content to confide that the “precious ticket” had been “carefully placed in a safe”. And that the happy neo-multimillionaires have “need time” pour “digest this incredible news”.
“We were overwhelmed with happiness.”
In front of 75 rue d’Auteuil, where the ticket was validated, some customers are now having fun playing Sherlock Holmes. Their mission: to put faces on this group of friends who managed to find the following winning combination: 24,31, 34, 41, 43, 6 and 8. Philippe Taurand is “certain” that it is “people from the neighborhood”, “customers, not people passing through”. “What I would do with this sum? I would stop working, I would invest a good part for my children, and I would live, finally. Because I haven’t lived much at the moment”, confides the man who has run the counter since 1989.
Light brown raincoat on his back, Patrick comes out, 10 euros worth of EuroMillions tickets in his hands. “If it turns out, I know them. No, better: if it turns out, I passed just before them that day,” imagine this inveterate player. Because he too had tried to win the famous jackpot this summer.
Next customer, François Belen. “It’s not me, I swearlaughs the professional doctor. I’m around their age but, unfortunately, they’re not me and they’re not my friends.”
Here is the gang of five strangers who join the little family of “big winners” of the FDJ, that is to say those who have won at least one million euros in a draw. “It is not so rare for several people to play on one and the same ticket, either within a family context or within a friendly framework like heredevelops with franceinfo Isabelle Cesari, the manager of big winner relations within the group. When validating the ticket, they are asked to certify in writing whether they played alone or with others. Here they said they played five players, so we wrote five checks.” A fair amount of 50 million euros for each? “Confidential”replies the FDJ.
Classic protocol: after handing over the check, they will be entitled to “long-term support, with regular meetings to help them with this big change in their lives”. “They told me that they first wanted to please themselves and their children.” adds Isabelle Cesari.
The 250 million euros have, in any case, turned a few heads: a smart guy dared to pretend to be the winner. On August 28, nine days after the announcement of the victorious draw, a resident of Decazeville (Aveyron) had the nerve to contact the newspaper of La Dépêche du Midi. “I wanted to tell you that I am the winner of the last EuroMillions draw”, he says on the phone. Confident, he gives the correct combination, as well as the address of the establishment where he had his ticket validated.
“I want it to be in the newspaper! But don’t mention my name. Say that I’m from Decazeville, that I’m in my thirties, and above all, that I’m unemployed.”
A false winnerat “La Dépêche du Midi”
Winner… in his dreams only. At the time, the FDJ immediately denied it. “No, it’s not that person. In fact, we are aware that someone is calling all the newspaper editorial offices to tell them that he has won. However, the information is false, he probably wants to set up a hoax.”
At Tabac d’Auteuil, on the other hand, everything is very true. Besides, “in a few days, new posters will be posted on the windowrejoices Philippe Taurant. It will say that the jackpot has been hit here. It’ll be a good little publicity stunt!” However, he should be used to it: “A big win has already happened with us, it’s true. It was at a time when we still paid in francs.”
