ECONOMY & WORK
MONEY 101
NEWS
PERSONAL FINANCE
NET WORTH
About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use DMCA Opt-out of personalized ads
© Copyright 2023 Market Realist. Market Realist is a registered trademark. All Rights Reserved. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.
MARKETREALIST.COM / ECONOMY & WORK

Guy finds and returns $4.8 million check to company — they thank him with 6 bags of gummies instead

Although Anouar received the package unexpectedly, he did feel that it wasn't much considering the amount on the check.
UPDATED JAN 1, 2025
Representational image showing a woman selling jelly beans and candy (Cover image source: Getty Images | Photo by Smith Collection/Gado)
Representational image showing a woman selling jelly beans and candy (Cover image source: Getty Images | Photo by Smith Collection/Gado)

People who return lost money being appreciated for their honesty isn't uncommon, but being rewarded in candy literally sweetens the deal a lot more. That's what a German man found out after he spotted a piece of paper at a train station, that turned out to be a check for $4.8 million. Anouar G was in Frankfurt with his mom when he saw the check made in the name of the popular candy brand Haribo. As a good samaritan, Anouar informed the company and received a rather underwhelming reward. 

Entrance and facade of the Haribo Outlet Store | Getty Images | Stock Photo
Entrance and facade of the Haribo Outlet Store (Image source: Getty Images | Stock Photo)

A Multimillion-Dollar Discovery

Speaking to German news outlet, Bild, Anouar shared that he couldn’t believe his eyes when he looked at the check and found out that it was worth millions of dollars. “There was such a large sum on it that I couldn’t even pronounce it,” he told the outlet. He realized that the check was for Haribo, a German confectionery company famous for making gummy bears, and reached out to the company to inform them about the lost fortune. 

 A vending machine offers Haribo candy | Getty Images | Photo by Horacio Villalobos#Corbis/Corbis
A vending machine offers Haribo candy |(Image source: Getty Images | Photo by Horacio Villalobos#Corbis/Corbis)

Haribo instructed him to safely destroy the check after taking a picture of it for proof. Anouar followed the instructions and did exactly as he was told to protect the firm from a multi-million dollar loss.

As per the image, the check from DZ Bank was issued by German supermarket chain Rewe to Haribo. Once Anouar shared the evidence with the company, he thought everything was settled. 



 

However, a few days later, he was surprised to receive a box full of Haribo products. As a non-monetary thank you, the company sent him a total of six packs of candy. On average, a common pack of Haribo candy costs about $13 to $40 in the U.S.

"I thought that was a bit cheap," Anouar told the German newspaper, thinking that it was a rather small gift considering the fact that he saved the company millions of dollars. 

A Standard Thank You

When Anouar complained that treats didn’t really amount to much, Haribo defended the decision saying that it was a “standard package that we send as a thank you,” Bild reported. The company further stated that since the check was for Haribo, nobody else could have cashed it anyway.  

However, a spokesperson for Haribo told Fox Business that they were glad that Anouar had reached out to them and honestly followed the instructions. 



 

"Whilst we recognized that this was a crossed cheque that could not be deposited by anyone but the company this was addressed to, we were grateful that Mr Anouar took the time to contact us and we were pleased to share a sweet gesture with him as a thank you," the spokesperson told the news station. 

Haribo is one of the largest and most popular candy makers in the world. While the company is tight-lipped about its earnings, in 2022, Forbes estimated that Haribo's revenues exceed $3 billion.

Gummi bears, Happy Cola, twin cherries, and raspberries, which may have been sent to Anouar, are among the top-selling products made by the company.

This article originally appeared 2 months ago.

MORE ON MARKET REALIST
The wrestler was delighted to get his trunks back after years and promised to buy Harrison a meal.
6 hours ago
The contestant was silent as the clock was ticking, and the answer accurately described the situation.
9 hours ago
Since the entrepreneur shared that she made $260,000 in hours, the sharks were convinced she didn't need them.
11 hours ago
The item was a painting from the set of the original "Blade Runner" film, that's popular even today.
12 hours ago
They were asking for a massive $20 million valuation, which put a lot of the sharks off at first.
1 day ago
The guest had no idea what the bottle was worth or even what was paid for it when it was bought.
1 day ago
It was a talking Ewok telephone toy that a guest had wanted $175 for
1 day ago
The entrepreneur's wit was one of the things that impressed sharks and got him a deal.
1 day ago
Fans of the show took to X to express their surprise as the contestant did something no one expected.
1 day ago
The host usually speaks highly of the show but not everything about it is perfect.
2 days ago
It was surprising to see Harrison pay that much money for a poster, but it was a special one.
2 days ago
The guest was not expecting such a high valuation and couldn't help but laugh about it.
2 days ago
Clearly, Chumlee was a pro-wrestling fan in his younger days and still had a lot of that energy.
2 days ago
He could have taken his new car to his Costco adventures but that is not going to happen.
3 days ago
Cuban said no at first as the entrepreneurs revealed that guest shark Peter Jones was their favorite.
3 days ago
The publication was started by a women's rights activist who helped to pass a major legislation.
3 days ago
The man was trailing from the beginning but his game picked up pace later on.
3 days ago
The actor had a cameo in the popular sitcom and was the star of the blockbuster, "Shaft."
3 days ago
The veteran TV personality has been on the show for over 40 years and has met countless celebrities.
4 days ago
The guest who made an under $3,000 investment was blown away by the massive appraisal.
4 days ago