AN HONEST deed has paid off for one Albury man who returned a wallet full of cash later discovering its owner was a millionaire.
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Former rugby league player Mike Eden was taking a stroll opposite Manly beach on Easter Saturday when the black leather wallet laying on the footpath caught his eye.
He, his son William and father Tony were gobsmacked when they peered inside to find $1110 and black and platinum credit cards.
“I thought, someone’s not going to be happy,” Mr Eden said.
Little did he know when he started to track down its owner, it would turn out to be Alf Moufarrige, owner and founder of serviced office company Servcorp.
“We stalked him down on the internet,” Mr Eden said.
“We found his nephew was a contact of mine on (business social media site) linkedin.”
When Mr Eden contacted the millionaire Sydney businessman, he told them to keep the cash, but he refused.
“He wasn’t worried about the money,” Mr Eden said.
Mr Moufarrige, of Hunter’s Hill, said he’d dropped his wallet riding his bike from his boat on the way to a surf.
Mr Eden left the wallet at his brother’s Manly coffee shop for him to collect, thinking that would be the last of it.
However, he when returned to the Border he received an email thanking him, with an offer he couldn’t knock back.
“I was so relieved to get my wallet back and so surprised to find somebody so honest and diligent in this fair city,” Mr Moufarrige wrote.
“The added bonus of having a wallet with all the money returned made my day.
“Twice a year, I donate funds to charity — name your favourite and we’ll make sure they get a minimum of $1000.”
Yesterday, Mr Eden received three cheques for $500 each in the post made out to West Albury Public School, Albury Thunder Rugby League Club and Autism Spectrum Australia.
He said the experience was a great lesson for William.
But it was a little lost on the nine-year-old.
“I felt bad giving it back,” William said.
“I could have spent it on an Xbox.”