The Agricultural Village of Sodeto in Northeast Spain is comprised of approximately 240 inhabitants. Identical stone houses and numerous barns are set in rows and muddy cars dominate the city. There are no visible signs of wealth, but if you look at any of the kitchen windows, you'll notice something strange: large flat-screen TVs and luxury furniture.
At Cañamoto's bar, the city's only drinking place, you'll usually find half a dozen residents drinking Estrella beer after a long day in the fields. But unlike locals in other cities, these farmers and truck drivers pay 50 euro bills for their beers and the mood is always pleasant as they have no worries.
With the exception of one unfortunate resident, everyone in this debt-laden farming community became overly wealthy when their lottery numbers were called.
"People are happier now," explains Pedro, a 33-year-old driver.
On December 22, 2011, at 9:57 am, the entire population of Sodeto became the winner of the largest lottery in the world. La LoterÃa de Navidad (Christmas Lottery), or "El Gordo", as it is known, distributes up to two billion euros annually and in 2011, everyone in Sodeto had a share of the winning number. As El Gordo was announced on television, Sodeto residents flew out of their homes and rallied, hugging and grumbling in disbelief at how many tickets each had bought.
Tears and champagne flowed the day after every person in Sodeto had won a bulk of the prize money, worth â?¬ 720m combined. All, that is, except one resident. It's called Costis Mitsotakis and is of Greek origin. He had not bought a ticket, as the lady selling it had forgotten to knock on his door.
It must be said that the Spanish Lottery operates differently than those in the United States. In 2011, there were 1,800 tickets with the first prize number, 58268. Because buying a ticket can be costly for most people, local organizations buy tickets and share them so that participation is not costly. . In 2011, the Sodeto Home Association sold 1,200 to people living in the city.
But who won how much is a secret. Suffice it to say that every single family in Sodeto had at least one winning participant and some had enough to make them millionaires.
In an instant, Sodeto had become the object of an unintentional social experiment: What happens when an entire farming community, overwhelmed by debt, suddenly becomes very wealthy? The press arrived quickly. Marketing ravaged the city by flooding residents with offers of sports cars, diamonds and exotic vacations. The bankers showed different investments. Trash bins that rarely needed emptying were suddenly filled with flyers.
Sodeto was created in 1950, one of more than 200 planned communities created by former dictator Francisco Franco.
For the first four years, there were only seven families working the land and taking care of themselves. Eventually, more than 65 families settled in the city.
Source: Top Channel
