A man who won almost EUR 10 million playing the lottery sobbed on the way to reunite with his long-lost stepmother after 20 years apart.
Kursat ‘Chico’ Yildirim, 42, broke into tears while driving his new V8 Ferrari 448 Pista to meet his stepmother Jutta S., 76, in the northern part of Dortmund, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
The emotional meeting – reportedly their first in more than 20 years – took place on 14th November.
In an interview with German newspaper Bild, the 42-year-old former crane operator said: “I’m the happiest person! I’ve been looking for her for so long and I would have never stopped until I died.”
Kursat who splashed out on the brand-new Ferrari after he won the grand prize in September reportedly moved to Germany at the age of 12 along with his two brothers.
His father who at that time was already working in Germany had remarried Jutta, who accepted her husband’s children as her own and took care of them for eight years.
But when the boys grew up and each of them headed their own way, they reportedly lost contact with Jutta S.
Now shortly after winning the lottery, ‘Chico’ managed to track down an old friend of Jutta’s and got his stepmother’s contact.
He then called her after which they quickly scheduled a get-together to catch up on the years they have spent apart.
On the way there, Kursat said: “She is very, very special to me. You know, anyone can make a child. But not everyone can be there for a child.
“She did everything for us, more than some mothers do for their own children.
“She even gave us money to call our own mother and buy her a present for Mother’s Day.”
Following their overwhelming meeting, ‘Chico’ said: “I was so looking forward to this day and then it was so special.
“She was happy too, said she thought of us so often.”
The 42-year-old fanatical supporter of football club Besiktas Istanbul even decided to take his mother to the encounter so that the two women could finally meet.
His mother had only recently moved to Germany to join the family.
‘Chico’ said: “I had to interpret. Jutta told my mother that she never wanted to ruin our family. She’s such a great woman, we can never forget her…”
The 76-year-old stepmother then gave her stepson a valuable piece of advice by saying: “Boy, be careful. The money can be gone very quickly, as much as it seems now…”
Reflecting on his past, Kursat admitted: “I’ve done a lot of bad things. I’ve been at the very bottom. Today I’m so sorry about all of that.”
Kursat has been convicted of fraud and robbery for robbing several amusement arcades to feed his gambling and drug addiction, according to local media.
He was given a 27-month jail term in February of last year but was released early due to good conduct and his willingness to undergo therapy.
But when he won the prize he claimed: “I’ve always been the misfit of my family. So many people have written me off. They said I’m done.
“I kept praying to God for another chance because I was desperate to leave my old life behind.”
The multimillionaire recently announced that he is looking for a wife, following which his alleged ex-50-year-old girlfriend claimed that he dumped her after winning the jackpot.
The heartbroken woman was reportedly horrified and told media she never wants to see him again.
But the weightlifting enthusiast revealed he has been flooded with messages from women since he spread the news of his lottery windfall on Facebook and Instagram.
He underlined: “I really want to fall in love. I’m looking for a woman who loves to travel and is ready to start a family with me. I need a woman I can trust no matter what happens.”
