A small town in France has been left in awe after receiving millions from a Parisian stranger, who shared their name but never visited, giving the municipality five times its annual budget.
Roger Thiberville, a Paris-based meteorologist from a family of vineyard owners, died in August 2024 at the age of 91 without any direct heirs.
His €10 ($10.2) million fortune, inherited from his family, was directed to the small town of Thiberville in his will, Euro News reported. The only request accompanying the windfall was for his ashes and a commemorative plaque to be placed in the local cemetery.
The sudden inheritance has prompted excitement and cautious planning in Thiberville, a town of 1,773 residents. The mayor, Guy Paris, confirmed that the funds would be managed prudently, with priority given to paying off a €400,000 ($411,596) loan for a new primary school.
"It's an exceptional sum of money. Obviously the amount is beyond imagination," Paris said. "We don't yet know what we will do with it."
Proposed projects include a public garden, an energy-efficient play area, renovations to the elementary school, and a synthetic football pitch.
The town's public status exempts it from inheritance tax, amplifying the transformative potential of the gift. Thiberville's leadership is meeting with regional officials to map out responsible ways to allocate the funds.
While projects to enhance public infrastructure are under consideration, the mayor has assured residents that the inheritance will be handled with the same fiscal caution as the town's regular budget.
"We won't spend it all. We're going to manage this dowry as we have always done with our municipal budget — with prudence and responsibility," Paris said.
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