Jon Matthews, 59, from Milton Keynes, was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a cancer linked to asbestos, in 2006 and told he had months to live.
He placed two bets, each with a £100 stake at odds of 50/1, that he would be alive in June 2008 and in June 2009. A third wager will earn him a further £10,000 if he lives until 1 June 2010. The widower will collect his second lot of £5,000 winnings tomorrow.
Mr Matthews said: "I think I'm the first person in the world to bet on my own life. When I was diagnosed I was told mesothelioma was a death sentence. I wasn't that fussed because everyone has to die some time.
"But the interesting thing for me was how long it would take - would it take weeks or years?"
Mr Matthews said he planned to give away most of his winnings to charities, including the cancer charity Macmillan.
No comments:
Post a Comment