A lotto winner who scooped an amazing GBP 8.5 million jackpot has donated several crates of cat and dog food to support pet owners in the cost-of-living crisis.
Reformed fraudster Kursat Yildirim – also known as Chico – became an overnight sensation after his German lotto EUR 9.9 million win in September 2022.
Now the 42-year-old teamed up with his pal Abdul Amzugh, 42, for the heartwarming free pet food initiative.
The lads gave away thousands of tins at Abdul’s Lagerverkauf XXL wholesale store in Chico’s hometown of Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia on 27th August.
Abdul announced the special one-off charity event on social media saying: “We’ll be here for two hours. It’s gonna be lots of fun. Come by and get to know us!”
The entrepreneur added: “It comes from the heart. Just drop by if you are in need. And tell your folks. See you there!”
Chico underlined: “Animals are so special.”
According to Chico, he had initially planned to organise the giveaway back in February. However, the devastating earthquake in Turkey – where his family roots are – caused a sudden change of plans.
Now – after having sent several lorries of food and hygiene products to the victims of the quake in Turkey and Syria – Chico got in touch with Abdul to rekindle their free pet food idea.
Chico – who did not reveal how many crates he and his mate eventually donated – told local media: “I love animals. Unfortunately, I’ve never owned a pet.”
The ex-convict and former drug addict added: “My girlfriend Candice owns two pugs.
“Their names are Casimir and Willy. I love them from the bottom of my heart.”
Chico said he learned from conversations with many friends how much their pets mean to them.
The former crane operator said: “That’s why I discussed with Abdul what we could do. He was fascinated by the idea and immediately started organising different kinds of pet food.”
Dozens of pet owners turned up at the giveaway after hearing about the event on the social media channels of Chico and Abdul.
The millionaire incorporated the stunt into his ‘Make A Wish – Tell Chico’ initiative which aimed at finding out how he could support his followers and fans in difficult times.
Truck driver Andreas B. – who turned up at the store with his 10-year-old mastiff Normi – is delighted.
The 53-year-old told local media: “That’s a great initiative. We own seven pets, four of them from a shelter.”
Andreas explained: “We have to spend a lot of money on them as they need special anti-allergic food.”
Svenja B. from the nearby city of Bochum picked up some tins of dog food.
The 32-year-old said: “Chico has a big heart. I assume many people were unsure about coming here. Asking for help can be hard.”
Svenja added: “But I saw their broad smiles on their way out.”
Netizen ‘Juliaa.xxiv’ posted a photo of her two cats surrounded by numerous tins and boxes of food. She captioned the picture saying: “A big ‘thank you’ goes out to Chico.”
Chico emphasised: “I won’t stop launching such initiatives.”
He argued: “It’s nice to buy expensive stuff for my own. But making other people happy is much more beautiful.”
Chico recently posted a video in which he chats with some kids in his neighbourhood.
As they are enjoying some ice cream, he tells the youngsters: “Do always listen to your parents!”
He added: “Don’t smoke, don’t drink and don’t take drugs! Stay away from such people and never return home late.”
Chico concluded: “And remember that there are things in life you cannot buy for money.”
But his outspoken attitude on luxury and his new-found fame has caused controversy.
A few days ago, he reacted to the large number of scornful and derisive comments on his social media channels by posting a video showing him dancing around his Porsche.
Chico told his 872,000 Instagram followers: “This dance goes out to all my haters.”
The supercar fan added: “I just want to let all those envious people out there know that I’m still alive. I just wanna dance!”
User ‘O. Mjemapelle’ was not impressed. He said: “You can’t buy class with money.”
Referring to Chico’s confession he was still living with his parents, ‘Florian Beussel’ asked: “Does your new girlfriend share your bedroom at your mum’s place?”
But ‘Deno Bellic’ came out in defence. He commented: “Germany is the unhappiest country in the world. Check the comments section for confirmation.”
Chico was born in Turkey and came to Germany at 12.
In February 2021, he was sentenced to 27 months in jail for fraud and robbery but was released early due to good conduct and his willingness to undergo therapy.
