The story of Corona Beer’s founder Antonino Fernández Rodríguez and how he gave back to his own people is remarkable, inspiring and beyond the expected.

Upon his death, Antonino Fernández left his massive wealth of £169 million for the residents of the poor Spanish village he grew up in. That’s a whopping ₹14,000 crores!

Fernández’s gesture of love for the people of his village is something that’s almost unheard of. Born in the Spanish village of Cerezales del Condado, he had to drop out of school at 14 because his parents were unable to afford his education. 

The turning point in his life came after his marriage. His wife’s uncle owned Grupo Modelo, a brewery in Mexico. The uncle offered to help the couple move to Mexico. And thus began Fernández’s journey of as a warehouse employee.

By 1971, Fernández – with a lot of sweat and toil – had climbed the ladder of success and reached the position of CEO. 

His efforts and hard work made Corona the most popular beer in Mexico and gave a major boost to the export as well. In Spain, the beer was sold under the Coronita brand. 

When he died in August this year at the ripe old age of 99, Fernández was a billionaire. But before his death, he made sure that no one in his village had to struggle for money ever again. In his will, he left £169 million to the residents of his village. 

To put that into perspective, each of the villagers got £2 million. That’s ₹17 crores per person!

The villagers are ecstatic and clearly dumbstruck with their newfound wealth. But they’re grateful to Antonino for his love. Maximino Sanchez – the owner of the only bar in Cerezales del Condado –  says:

Definitely the most unbelievable parting gift that will be remembered for generations to come!