A former convict and factory worker who won nearly EUR 10 million in the lottery has invested in a nut farm.
Kursat Yildirim, 42, from the city of Dortmund, in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, hit the headlines after he quit his job as a crane operator and went on a massive spending spree after he won EUR 9.9 million (GBP 8.72 million) on 24th September.
But after he splashed out EUR 1.5 million (GBP 1.3 million) within a month and bought a GBP 392,000 V8 Ferrari 448 Pista, a Porsche Turbo S Cabriolet, a penthouse in Istanbul, and went shopping at luxury stores such as Rolex, Prada, Gucci and Versace, he has now decided to invest in something that he believes will bring in money instead.
The Turkish-born millionaire has now splashed the cash on a 20-hectare plantation containing 6000 almond trees which he proudly proclaimed that within a few years will be producing 50 tonnes of nuts.
Announcing the decision to invest, he said that a kilogramme of almonds can sell for around EUR 10 (GBP 8.19), which will give them a revenue of half EUR 1 million (GBP 819,000) a year.
He said: “I have taken expert advice and am certain that this will be a good investment. On the ground level farmers and professional carers will look after the plantation.”
He added that the nuts plantation was just one of a number of investments that will also include property.
The ex-steel plant employee, nicknamed Chico, who has done time for fraud and robbery, said however that the market situation was difficult and he also has other projects on the site, including looking for a girlfriend.
He claimed that his Instagram inbox has been filled with date requests ever since he hit the jackpot, but said: “I’ve met dozens of women, but the right one just wasn’t there…”
A decent number of them, according to the 42-year-old son of hard-working Turkish migrant parents, reportedly come from abroad, but none of them had met the criteria on his checklist.
The 42-year-old millionaire hopes he will find the ideal woman in one of his future travel destinations including Brazil, the Caribbean or Cuba.
Chico then listed looks as the first and most important criteria and said: “No date without a FaceTime call! It’s unbelievable what some women suddenly look like.
“[Once] I drove [to meet a woman] for two hours. But after half an hour I was back home…”
He also added that age does not matter if the chemistry is right, but said women under 20 need not apply.
Chico added: “The other day a 19-year-old woman texted me. She could be my daughter, that’s not for me!”
According to the 42-year-old, women who are only after his money are completely out of the question, to which he added: “I quickly notice who has something on their mind, or who is just looking for free shopping.”
He then listed natural beauty as an extremely attractive feature in a woman and said: “A great woman has confidence and is strong.
“She can also leave the house without make-up, naturalness is the most important thing!”
The lucky winner then explained how he disapproves of lies and cheating and said: “That is not how it works. I have to be able to rely on a woman. You can rely on me, too.”
He then added his final checklist point and explained that having a spark is crucial in a relationship by saying: “If you then don’t feel anything, you can cancel further meetings.”
