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

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. 

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. 

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.