A usually reliable source reports that the winner of the New Year's Eve lottery wants to dedicate a significant part of her prize to culture. In this way, she wants to undo the cuts made by Rutte I. Six million will go directly to the Dutch Travel Opera. Another four million is earmarked for a new integral performance of Wagner's Ring des Nibelungen. Also on the agenda is a reprise of Tristan und Isolde and Glucks Orphée et Eurydice on the list. Toneelgroep Oostpool receives 600,000 a year to Angels in America to be performed as a repertoire piece. A similar amount has been set aside to We go on a bear hunt of Sonnevanck for all children in the Netherlands.
Nicolas Mansfield, artistic director of the Reisopera, denies having had any contact with the winner. Oostpool and Sonnevanck also reveal that they are awaiting further news. However, photos of the winning ticket soon surfaced on facebook.
Response
Asked to comment, a spokesperson on behalf of the State Lottery said it does not comment on individual lottery numbers. Critics report that the picture of the lottery ticket, which has now been shared millions of times, did not include any prizes.
Other journalists point out that the winner has publicly praised not only the Dutch Reisopera in the past, but emphatically also the above-mentioned productions. They also report that companies the lottery winner has spoken positively about in the past are going to benefit significantly more from the extra millions. Moreover, they are based in proximity to the alleged winner's hometown.
At the request of several organisations, the provinces of Brabant and Groningen say they are investigating whether some of the extra money can be spent there too. The provincial VVD Brabant reports, "It is of course great that the Giving Act is being used so optimally, but it is undesirable that a single region benefits from a tax measure intended for the whole of the Netherlands."
Fake news
Of course, this is fake news. And as with all fake news, some facts are true. For instance, the lot shown is indeed in my possession and I have spoken highly of productions by the Dutch Reisopera, Oostpool and Sonnevanck in the past.
And, should I have won 30 million, I would certainly invest a significant part of it in culture.
But alas, because irrefutably true is that no prize was won on the lot shown.
Free
This article is therefore free. After all, fake news should not be paid for - everyone gets that constantly anyway.
Not free is fact- and knowledge-based cultural journalism. That is what this site is for. Therefore, become subscriber, donate or pay for an item every now and then!
English (UK) 
Nederlands 
Français 
