I think it is safe to assume therefore that this money was given as a gift to Sauni re but via Marie. Since the full history of Sauni re's and Boudet's finances are very much shrouded in mystery it is impossible to say that other sums were not also given. This would seem to validate the theory I have held for some time that Sauni re never actually found any treasure at all but was instead wholly financed by Boudet. In addition to the large sum given to Sauni re and in all probability others too, he gave a donation of 7 Million Gold Francs to Archbishop Billard for the restoration of the monastery of Prouille. One observation I would make here is that rich people may make donations but they never do so to such a point that their funds are completely depleted by these gifts.
Donations usually represent only a small fraction of the whole.
Based on this assumption it is clear that Boudet was a man of some considerable substance, probably to the tune of many hundreds of times more than the amounts he donated. It is fascinating to speculate on just how he came into such a vast fortune and of course this speculation is very much at the heart of the Boudet mystery itself. In continuing with our look at the life of Boudet, we know that Sauni re was a flamboyant extrovert who reveled in ostentation, Boudet on the other hand was very much an introvert, shying away from the public gaze. This is no doubt one of the main reasons why both the man and his fortune are so often overlooked. It has been estimated that he spent some 15 Million Gold Francs during his lifetime although, as I speculated above, his personal fortune must have far exceeded this amount.