In the case of Petrov, I’m under the impression (based on a documentary about him) that he probably didn’t have much money, and that the prize had an element of “help a hero live in comfort.” This isn’t an impact-focused reason to give money, but does play into the “unsung hero” element (by creating the impression of the hero finally being “sung”/rewarded).
It’s also plausible to me that the prize could have been funded by a donor who really wanted to give out cash rewards, and just worked with FLI to implement their idea (but I have no idea whether this is true and I don’t think it’s likely).
Petrov’s family received the award a bit over a year after he passed away, though, in this case. Of course, I’d imagine he would have wanted his family to live in comfort, too, or maybe the decision was made before his passing.
In the case of Petrov, I’m under the impression (based on a documentary about him) that he probably didn’t have much money, and that the prize had an element of “help a hero live in comfort.” This isn’t an impact-focused reason to give money, but does play into the “unsung hero” element (by creating the impression of the hero finally being “sung”/rewarded).
It’s also plausible to me that the prize could have been funded by a donor who really wanted to give out cash rewards, and just worked with FLI to implement their idea (but I have no idea whether this is true and I don’t think it’s likely).
Petrov’s family received the award a bit over a year after he passed away, though, in this case. Of course, I’d imagine he would have wanted his family to live in comfort, too, or maybe the decision was made before his passing.