14 May - Buckinghamshire man who bet on beating cancer dies

Friday, 14 May 2010

A Buckinghamshire cancer sufferer who won £10,000 betting he would live longer than expected has died at the age of 60.

Jon Matthews from Milton Keynes was diagnosed in 2006 with mesothelioma, a disease linked to asbestos, and was 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.

Mr Matthews was admitted to hospital on Sunday 2 May and died two days later.

He had placed a third wager which would have earned him a further £10,000 if he had lived until 1 June 2010.

In 2009 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?"

Graham Sharp, who took what he called the "unique" bet for William Hill, said it had given Mr Matthews an incentive to fight the disease.

'Incentive to battle'

He said: "I was very sad when I heard he'd died.

"I'd been in touch with Jon since he placed the bet and I'm just delighted that it gave him so much fun and enjoyment.

"When he first approached us about it I was in two minds and thought we'd be accused of doing something in bad taste. But it gave him an incentive to keep on battling through the disease.

"I was delighted to pay out the £5,000 twice."

Mr Matthews said at the time that he would give away most of his winnings to charities, including the cancer charity Macmillan.

His friend and business partner John Nichols said: "I've known Jon for years... He was a very good salesman and very creative.

"When he was diagnosed he was very upset and he arranged for a friend to do a video recording for his son.

"He turned it into a business for other people to make recordings about their lives."

 

Source: BBC News may 2010