Won the lottery jackpot and lives in social housing: where did the lucky winner spend the money?

Frenchman Bruno Calun won the largest lottery jackpot in France at the time in 1995 — 70 million francs (≈€16 million) — but now lives in social housing. He actively shared his winnings, invested in various projects, and helped people, although many of those investments failed.

He told this story to La Voix du Nord. A resident of the northern French town of Hazebrouck, Bruno Calun became the winner of the largest jackpot in the history of the French lottery at that time in 1995.

Three decades later, he lives in social housing but says there is nothing shameful about it.

"I am satisfied with where I am; there is nothing shameful about living in social housing," he told the outlet.

On December 3, 1995, the 36-year-old bank employee appeared on TF1’s evening news as a new millionaire. After twenty years of playing the lottery, he finally won 70 million francs, now equivalent to approximately €16 million.

Despite such a substantial win, Calun did not spend everything on personal luxury. He actively shared funds with relatives, donated to charitable organizations, and invested in various projects. Among them was a stable with 14 horses, where he organized tours for those interested in the world of horse racing. One year, he even arranged a trip for 400 Flemish people, during which lotteries with televisions as prizes were held.

In 1997, Calun became the owner of a bankrupt pork sales company, investing part of his winnings and preserving 49 jobs. However, the company faced financial difficulties and was liquidated in 2004. After that, he continued investing abroad, including opening a French bakery in Sarajevo after the end of the war and leasing aircraft for tourism services in Croatia.

Many of these projects were also unsuccessful, but Calun does not regret what he did. He emphasizes that for him the most important thing is the opportunity to help people and do good, and that this makes him happy.