AN ECCENTRIC French millionaire has left his £8m fortune to a village because it shared its name with him – even though he never visited.
Roger Thiberville, a meteorologist who lived in Paris, has left Thiberville, Normandy, and its 1,800 residents with his inheritance.
Thiberville died in August aged 91 and had no children or relatives to put in his will.
The recluse owned four Parisian apartments in a posh area and had inherited money himself from his parents wine-making operation.
The £8m (10m Euros) is five times Thiberville’s budget and has left residents in the town stunned.
The village’s mayor Guy Paris said he first thought it was a practical joke.
Paris told l’Eveil: “I was a little surprised but I was going to be even more so when I was going to know the estimate of these assets.
“Luckily, I was sitting down.
“It was a lovely surprise just before Christmas.”
Residents are keen for the council to spend the cash on public investments.
Little is known about the man Thiberville who lived alone in a small apartment in Paris.
Mayor Paris said he had been told that Thiberville had never visited Thiberville.
Local man Bruno told The Times: “We should use it to provide better facilities for young people.
“That’s something we really need.”
Another villager, Robert, commented: “We’ve never had so many journalists descending on us before.
“There have been television crews from Paris and across France, and now reporters from other countries. At least it’s for a happy story but frankly, we’ll be glad when things calm down.”
The town is now planning to spend the money on paying off debt that was incurred to create a public park, and renovate the school and church.
Thiberville attached no conditions on his will and the town said his ashes will be placed in the village cemetery.
They’re also planning to build a new football pitch, fire station, and a care home.
They will also build a memorial that has a sun and cloud symbol to represent is career as a meteorological engineer.
The village will pay no inheritance tax as public bodies that inherit sums do not in France.
News of the windfall has made nearby towns envious with Frédéric Delamare, the mayor of Serquigny, addressing it in a recent dinner with former president Francois Hollande.
Delamare joked: “Isn’t there somewhere in France a wealthy Jean-Michel Serquigny, with no heirs, who could leave us his fortune?”
It remains to be seen whether mayor Paris will also follow Thiberville’s giving lead.
