A few years ago one of the wealthiest and most formidable men in Brazil, Thane Chiquinho Scarpa, hit the headlines when he publicised plans to bury (and have a funeral ceremony for) his prized Bentley convertible so he could drive around the afterlife in style.

The story got a lot of media coverage and he was blasted for being flashy.

The media questioned his actions and suggested that such a wealthy man should have donated the car to charity. He was criticised for lacking connection with reality.

He was defiant and justified his actions – he said his plans were to do as the Pharaohs of Egypt did and take his riches with him. He explained that the idea had come to him after watching a programme on Ancient Egypt. They buried their entire fortunes to have a comfortable life "on the other side" and so why shouldn’t he?

There are quite a few similarities between the ancient Egyptian religion, and religions of today. However, a belief that you "could take it with you" is a big difference. It is rare for people to think today that they should take their assets with them - in fact nowadays many people believe that because you can't take assets with you when you're gone, they should spend, spend, spend in the here and now!

He promoted the funeral/burial of his Bentley on Facebook and he received over 5680 likes and more than 6000 shares. He was interviewed on TV and stood by his decision (regardless the criticism he received). People thought it was an elaborate tax avoidance plot, people thought it was absurd.

Still he was defiant and went ahead with the ceremony.  The media and public turned up to witness the farce.

Little did everyone know, his actions were for a great cause with a powerful message.

Just moments before lowering the car in the ground he revealed his true motivation - to create awareness for organ donation.

“People condemn me because I wanted to bury a million dollar Bentley, in fact most people bury something a lot more valuable than my car,” Scarpa said during his speech at the ceremony.

“They bury hearts, livers, lungs, eyes, kidneys. This is absurd. So many people are waiting for a transplant and you will bury your healthy organs that could save so many lives.”

The ingenious businessman held up a card saying “I am an organ donor. Are you?”

Brilliant!  Well done Mr. Scarpa for raising awareness of organ donation – we, as life insurance advisors (unlike the pharaohs) also agree that people need to think about what they leave behind.

It is a sad a fact of life that we're all going to die at some point and you can’t take your health or wealth with you, so it is important to decide what happens after you die. Registering as an organ donor can be a huge help to someone in need after your death. If you decide to donate, it's easy to register on the NHS Organ Donation website and it takes just 2 minutes.

And life insurance could be of great benefit to your loved ones after you’ve gone. Life insurance could be one of the most important things you leave behind for your family. If you are thinking about protecting your loved ones, our team of advisors offer no obligation advice to find a policy that will best suit your circumstances and budget. So why not call us on 0800 612 8005 today?