Prologue

I have been handsomely paid for the past nine years to organise, promote and oversee this highly secretive endeavour.

A competition that is the most thrilling weekend in every fifty two.

Thirty two ordinary people, chosen at random, by us, from a global selection of hopefuls.

Any age, any colour, any creed, any background. Nous ne faisons aucune discrimination.

One on one, single elimination. Winner takes all.

Run annually in a different city - last year Hong Kong, this year Amsterdam - it is bankrolled by the world’s richest men for their private entertainment. They gamble. They make friendly wagers.

The media is forbidden to breathe a word of it and les média obeys because they are owned by these men

Each year, interest has increased: almost one and one quarter million online entrants this time.

It is free to enter once but to enter your name more frequently and improve your chances of selection, it costs 5 euro or dollars per addition. Money raised through this convention is guaranteed to be met by the men behind the curtain to create the purse, whatever the amount. Par exemple, if one million dollars is raised through this lottery, a further one million will be donated.

This year’s victor will collect the record-breaking total of 3.6 million euro, 3.2 million pounds, 4 million dollars or a little over 400 million yen.

My name is Jean-Michel Tessier et Je suis votre humble hôte. I am your humble host.

Bienvenue, mes armies, à la Shootout.