World Savings Day winners, 2 of 3

Alessio Bottiglieri was at work in the desert when our World Savings Day draw picked his name. He has been investing since he was a child, and he has opinions.

Illustration: a desert energy site with rocks, dunes and rows of solar panels under the sun, with a phone notification saying “You won €2,000”You won €2,000World Savings Day draw

On 31 October, World Savings Day, we held a live draw for everyone who invested in SaveSmart for 12 months during October. Every €1,000 invested was one ticket. Three names came out. The second prize, €2,000, went to Alessio Bottiglieri.

He was at work at a remote desert site, “working to supply energy to the world”.

Alessio Bottiglieri, wearing sunglasses, at work in the desert with red rock cliffs behind him
Alessio at work in the desert.

“I never won anything”

Did he think he had a chance?

“Not a chance. I’m not lucky in life and I’ve never won anything. Everything I have, I built with my own sacrifices.”

So he told his supervisor. “He thought it was a scam and told me not to believe it.”

It wasn’t.

The quick round

Four quick questions, no overthinking.

  • His first thought“This is a scam.”
  • If his money had a personalityA squirrel: hides it away for winter“My money is there to give me a chance to enjoy life when I retire.”
  • How often he checks his investmentsOnce a week
  • The prize is going towardStraight back into savings

Investing since he was a kid

“I’ve been investing since I was a child. I learnt it from my family.”

He came to Afranga to spread his money further. “I wasn’t sure about the profitability. But I wanted to diversify my investments, and the interest on offer was attractive.”

What surprised him once he started? Nothing, and that was the point. “When it comes to investments, the last thing I want is surprises. Everything went smoothly, exactly as I expected.”

The honest part

The worst money advice he ever got: “To keep money uninvested in a current account.”

A money mistake he can laugh about now? He won’t.

“I’ve made many mistakes, but I don’t laugh about them. My savings are the result of my hard work. Losing them, and remembering those moments, isn’t funny to me.”

We liked that answer more than any joke.

Do his friends know he invests? “Yes. Every day we share our impressions and opinions on how and where to invest.”

“Keep your money moving. It’s not meant to be parked in a bank account.”

Alessio’s advice to himself at 20

For anyone who has never invested

“Study and do your own research. Then invest by yourself. No bank can look after your money better than you can.”

One difference worth knowing: money in a bank deposit is covered by a deposit guarantee scheme. Investments with Afranga, including SaveSmart, are not.

And where is his €2,000 going? Straight back into savings. Of course it is.

Alessio’s answers were lightly edited for grammar and length.

Meet the other winners

The World Savings Day draw was run under its published terms and conditions. Prize amounts are prizes from the draw, not investment returns.

Afranga is licensed as a European Crowdfunding Service Provider (ECSP) by the Financial Supervision Commission of Bulgaria, Resolution 863/12.09.2023. Capital at risk. Not covered by any deposit guarantee scheme or investor compensation scheme. Afranga EOOD, Reg. No: 206337510.

The views in this article are the winner’s own and are not investment advice.