A sporty car, a large yacht or a luxury villa – Mathijs could have had all of them this Christmas, after winning one million at BankGiro Lottery this year. But this 26-year-old from Best did not buy any of these things. He has remained calm and chose to invest the money carefully.
Mathijs recently bought two houses, one in Eindhoven and another in Helmond. “This is the best investment right now,” he says. He has always wanted to move back to his hometown of Eindhoven, and now it has become easier. “It was difficult to find an affordable house. With this prize money, I could now search in a different price range.”
The second house is still under construction: an apartment near the railway station in Helmond. Why? ”I want to rent that flat out. I can then pay the mortgage of my house in Eindhoven. And by investing the money, I will have some in returns later.”
‘Mathijs, what are you still doing here?’
Mathijs still works on his same job – he manages events at a conference hotel. “I just went to work right after receiving the cheque. And I still have that job.” Almost every day, his colleagues ask him: “Mathijs, what are you still doing here?” He smiles and says contentedly. “I am fine financially, but I do not want to quit. I still like my job very much. And what am I supposed to do with all the free time?”
The prize Mathijs won is something most people can only dream of. Did that make him happy? “Life has become easier but not really any better,” he says after a short silence. “I was already happy, and I still am.”
Source: Omroep Brabant
Translator: Shufei
Editor: Melinda Walraven
