Tiny French Town Astonished by €10 Million Legacy from Unknown Benefactor
Imagine waking up in a small town with fewer than 2,000 residents and discovering you’ve just inherited €10 million. This is precisely what happened to Thiberville, a quaint commune in Normandy, France, when Roger Thiberville, a man who had never set foot in the town, left them his entire fortune. It’s a story as surreal as it is heartwarming.
Roger Thiberville, a 91-year-old Parisian meteorologist, passed away last August with no heirs to his name. In his will, he bequeathed his entire estate—estimated at €10 million—to the town that shares his family name. Though he lived modestly in Paris, owning four apartments and inheriting wealth from his family’s vineyard business, Thiberville had no personal connection to the town. His sole wish? That his ashes rest in the local cemetery.
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For Thiberville’s mayor, Guy Paris, the news was almost too good to believe. The amount is five times the town’s annual budget, leaving officials and residents marveling at their unexpected windfall. While the town is grateful, its leaders are committed to spending the inheritance wisely, with plans already underway. Paying off a €400,000 loan for a recently built primary school is a priority. Other projects include creating a public garden, a boules court with solar-panel shading, and possibly a synthetic football pitch.
Thiberville may be unassuming, with little more than a 19th-century ch'steau and a defunct ribbon factory to its name, but this windfall has turned the spotlight on the community. The story has sparked curiosity worldwide and even a tinge of envy among neighboring villages that missed the chance to merge with Thiberville years ago, which would have allowed them to share in the inheritance.
Despite the spotlight, the town’s leadership remains humble and focused on honoring Roger Thiberville’s legacy. A memorial in the cemetery is being planned to symbolize his generosity and link to the town. This remarkable tale is a testament to how life can deliver the most extraordinary surprises—even from complete strangers.
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