TheaterFire

Do you know anyone who has won big on the lottery?

Posted by EmbarrassedDegree424@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 159 comments

If so, do you know how they won? Lucky dip? I know the chances of winning are so small. I play every week hoping

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159 Comments

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View on Reddit #17626081

MintyMarlfox@reddit

Know someone who won 1.5m. Gave up work, bought a nice house and a couple of new cars, went on 5 holidays a year… …and had to sell up and go back to work in less than 2 years. There’s was a lucky dip.
View on Reddit #17623022

Harrry-Otter@reddit

I can appreciate the temptation in this, but I’d have always thought you’d be better just banging it in a high interest account and giving yourself a nice pay bump.
View on Reddit #17623263

Parker4815@reddit

Do high interest accounts exist anymore?
View on Reddit #17623870

Doublebow@reddit

Depends on what you class as high, you can easily get 5% these days.
View on Reddit #17624097

Possiblyreef@reddit

I have 7% on 4k at santander, although it would be useless for that kinda money. 5% is about the going rate
View on Reddit #17626060

Nox_VDB@reddit

They went up to around 6.2% in September last year which was nice.
View on Reddit #17625545

adamMatthews@reddit

You can get around 5% with most banks these days. But if you win the lottery, they’ll sign you up with a private bank and you get your own bank manager who gets you the best deals and investment plans.
View on Reddit #17624875

JohnLennonsNotDead@reddit

In private banking, yes.
View on Reddit #17624230

pintperson@reddit

Interest rates are higher than they’ve been in years at the moment. Banks do offer them but they come with restrictions on how much you can withdraw.
View on Reddit #17624192

SmegB@reddit

I've always said, after an initial splurge, put the money in a high-interest account and live off the interest. These days, £1.5m isnt permanently life-changing. A nice house will take a big chunk of that. Have fun with the winnings, sure, but if you want it to last you gotta be smart
View on Reddit #17623896

crazyDiamnd67@reddit

1.5m is most definitely permanently life changing.
View on Reddit #17624413

biffa72@reddit

Yeah I’m not really sure where people get this idea from that a million isn’t life changing. It quite literally provides you a stable foundation to do whatever you want for the rest of your life, with no worries and guaranteed stability for the most part.
View on Reddit #17624672

MrPogoUK@reddit

I suppose what people really mean is it won’t give you the stereotypical “millionaire lifestyle” of being able to immediately quit work and spend your days driving Ferraris, living in a mansion and staying half the year in five star hotels. If you’re sensible you won’t have to worry about money ever again, but it doesn’t mean you don’t have to ever think about money again.
View on Reddit #17625947

Sea_Corgi_7284@reddit

They’re clowns who reckon if you can’t buy a new Lamborghini every month then it’s not life changing and you’ll spend it all in a year… gimme a million quid and you won’t see me dust son. All goes in high interest, live off that, don’t touch the main pot. Life sorted.
View on Reddit #17625822

First-Lengthiness-16@reddit

It's definitely not guaranteed. We are responding to a story about someone who won this exact amount of money and ot lasted less than 2 years.
View on Reddit #17625531

crazyDiamnd67@reddit

It’s Reddit. Everyone works for google and Netflix earning half a mill per year.
View on Reddit #17624807

iptvman07@reddit

Confirmed. They're all professional advert inspection officers. One day they'll be appreciated financially I'm sure 😂
View on Reddit #17624979

Amplidyne@reddit

I think they mean that it's not enough to live in idle luxury for the rest of your life. It's not I'd say. I'd say it's a nice amount to have though, very nice, and if you didn't go down the road of buying luxury cars every five minutes, and a big house, and you didn't support a load of mates, and steered clear of the booze and drugs, then it should make the rest of your life a lot easier.
View on Reddit #17625938

Sway_RL@reddit

Even 10% of 1.5m would be life changing for most people. Imagine someone gave you 150k with no strings attached!
View on Reddit #17625788

_whopper_@reddit

It’s definitely life changing. But I think the point is that it isn’t always giving someone the millionaire lifestyle that they might expect from such a big win. Though that’ll depend of course on your circumstances pre-win. Winning £1.5m in London as an 18-year-old and you could buy a fairly ‘normal’ house outright and have a fairly typical income for most of your life. Life changing for sure, but maybe not the millionaire lifestyle y
View on Reddit #17625664

Bacon4Lyf@reddit

It’s life improving but I wouldn’t call it life changing. You won’t be quitting your job that day, you still have to go in and deal with it, and you aren’t buying a mansion. You’ll get to retire early and go on a couple nice holidays a year earning interest on the money. That’s why it’s not life changing but is life improving
View on Reddit #17624648

ANorthernMonkey@reddit

I could quit on a million easily. 250k for a house in the north east, then 750k would give an income of 3000 a month with no tax for the rest of my life. 3k is easily enough to live on if you don’t have to pay for housing. Quitting work forever is about as life changing as it gets
View on Reddit #17625543

crazyDiamnd67@reddit

Who is talking about buying a mansion? Most people barely even own their own home if at all. All the things you have listed are life changing for the regular person.
View on Reddit #17624723

Bacon4Lyf@reddit

This is a very naive way of looking at it and is the reason most people go broke
View on Reddit #17625022

crazyDiamnd67@reddit

How is not worrying about paying mortgage naive????
View on Reddit #17625076

Countcristo42@reddit

1m with a drawdown of 4% a year is £40,000 a year - that’s more than most people make a year in their lives Its enough for most people to instantly retire on and live of for the rest of their lives
View on Reddit #17625075

hypercyanate@reddit

£1.5m isn't life changing? I would retire immediately.
View on Reddit #17625756

exiledtomainstreet@reddit

Yeah. Nowadays this is comfort money really. Can buy you a nice house and have enough in the bank that if you fall on hard times you’re covered.
View on Reddit #17624136

Grotbagsthewonderful@reddit

> but I’d have always thought you’d be better just banging it in a high interest account Your money will basically be eroded by inflation if you do that, you're best off putting it in an index fund then forget about it.
View on Reddit #17625708

Goondoitagain@reddit

With inflation being what it is, your money will be losing value each year even if the number goes up each year. Better to buy property than leave millions in a bank.
View on Reddit #17624298

LEVI_TROUTS@reddit

Hmm. I'm not going to make a bet, obviously in the long run, land/houses have always been fairly reliable. But current high interest rates are going to have an impact on house prices over the next 5 or 10 years.
View on Reddit #17624869

Morris_Alanisette@reddit

I assume that's what the ones you don't hear about do.
View on Reddit #17623718

jaym9219@reddit

Imagine thinking 1.5mil is enough to retire on
View on Reddit #17624646

Wetsock96@reddit

It is if you have half a brain…?
View on Reddit #17624827

ahungary@reddit

Depends on your age
View on Reddit #17625565

PushDiscombobulated8@reddit

A million is no longer worth much, particularly in London. It buys you a 4-bed terrace, at best.
View on Reddit #17625490

Pure_Pollution_9823@reddit

One of my oldest friend's partner won about 6 million several years ago. He was nearing retirement anyway, so decided to take it early. He bought a very modest house, invested in a couple of cabin/lodges which he rents out or offers to friends for free if they're not booked. He bought himself a Jag, his partner a Range Rover (we live in a rural area, so it's perfect for ferrying their kids around in the wonderful British weather. Absolutely NOT a Chelsea tractor!) And has continued to live life pretty much the same as he did before the win. His partner still works bloody hard, pays half of all bills etc. Genuinely the same people they were before the win. And he's still a grumpy bastard, bless him! He won it on one of the 2 lines he's played every weeksince the lottery began. It should make me remember to buy tickets, but I can never be arsed!
View on Reddit #17626046

uncle_monty@reddit

I knew someone that won a share of a ~£2mm jackpot as part of a work syndicate. He ended up with a few hundred k. He bought himself a BMW and basically chucked the rest up his nose. I used to see him go ferreting for rabbits in his giant shiny Beamer... A few years later he was a skint drug addict. Last I heard he'd been locked up for threatening someone with a shotgun, and for beating someone up with a pool cue. That was over 20 years ago, fuck knows what he's doing now, but I doubt it's anything good.
View on Reddit #17623576

Grotbagsthewonderful@reddit

I'm going to guess unless he received help probably dead.
View on Reddit #17625998

PPK_30@reddit

How NOT to spend your winnings! Good grief.
View on Reddit #17623856

nucleargeorge@reddit

A friend of my sister is a lottery winner. They live in a comfortable home but not extravagant, both work part time around school runs, etc. They have a fixer who sorts things like event tickets and other perks which is good apparently.
View on Reddit #17622713

20dogs@reddit

What's their part time job? Assume they do something more as a passion project or to keep busy rather than to make money.
View on Reddit #17625982

GlobbyChipOil@reddit

Local legend, but some time in the 80’s a “nice old couple down the road” won some £10M on the lottery which was one of the biggest prizes ever at the time. They were interviewed on TV and apparently when asked what they were going to do, the wife said “well, we could really do with a new washing machine. Ours has been causing us some trouble lately.” Although it was before my time, the story has been told to me separately by several people. The “nice old couple” are still down the road and apparently haven’t really changed since.
View on Reddit #17625963

mymumsaysno@reddit

My ex won about £50k about a month after we split up lol.
View on Reddit #17625951

BlueHornedUnicorn@reddit

A woman who used to work in the shop beside my sister-in-law won over £50m on the Euromillions about 10 years ago. She ended up buying my SIL and brother a whole new bedroom suite for my newborn niece. Which they greatly appreciated because they were struggling financially at the time. The woman still lives in the house she was in before she won!
View on Reddit #17624233

GlobbyChipOil@reddit

£50M and they bought a bedroom. Dream big!
View on Reddit #17625867

BlueHornedUnicorn@reddit

I mean, they weren't looking for anything from her.. so I'm guessing her spontaneous gift of around £5k worth of furniture was greatly appreciated! Might not have meant a lot to her bank account but it certainly meant a lot to them.
View on Reddit #17625939

UK2SK@reddit

It’s so pointless, put a pound in a jar each week and you’ll do a lot better out of it
View on Reddit #17621840

orgasmicoverture@reddit

I won £33,000 as part of a lottery syndicate. £52 a year in a jar would take what, 65 years or so to make that amount of money !
View on Reddit #17624302

Top-Hat1126@reddit

Er, what?
View on Reddit #17624952

orgasmicoverture@reddit

What ? My comment about winning £33,000 as part of a work syndicate was in response to someone saying the lottery is pointless, put £1 a week in a jar…. Will take a lot of £1 coins, a lot of weeks and a lot of jars to accrue £33,000
View on Reddit #17625478

Top-Hat1126@reddit

It would be a lot more than 65 years, it'll be about 643 years
View on Reddit #17625723

orgasmicoverture@reddit

😂 I meant to type 650 years but got distracted by the toaster popping up 👍
View on Reddit #17625857

LEVI_TROUTS@reddit

X10
View on Reddit #17625192

Jonography@reddit

Wasn’t pointless to the people who won it
View on Reddit #17623927

UK2SK@reddit

Plenty of tales of misery there though. Ask Michael Carroll how he’s doing now
View on Reddit #17624908

elalmohada26@reddit

I occasionally play when the jackpots are big. I get far more enjoyment out of fantasising about winning for a day or two than I would from saving a tiny bit more money each week, and I imagine most players are in the same camp. People aren’t playing because they seriously expect to get anything from it, they’re playing because it’s fun.
View on Reddit #17623341

UK2SK@reddit

Play DnD if you like imagining things
View on Reddit #17623418

Calm-Contribution196@reddit

But I don't find that fun
View on Reddit #17624569

HappyDrive1@reddit

But I want to be rich NOW. **cries in poor**
View on Reddit #17623159

UK2SK@reddit

More money more problems
View on Reddit #17623368

manlikenick@reddit

Money don’t make you happy but I’d rather cry in a Ferrari.
View on Reddit #17624521

exiledtomainstreet@reddit

A guy I used to work with called it a tax on the mathematically illiterate.
View on Reddit #17624189

VolcanicBear@reddit

What a pretentious description of idiot tax.
View on Reddit #17624441

modumberator@reddit

I wonder what car he drove and how much it cost him
View on Reddit #17624282

exiledtomainstreet@reddit

The guy earned a very good salary and had been for decades. He was the Warren Buffet type (although obviously not a billionaire) who would repair his clothes, which cost him next to nothing 20 years ago. Super frugal to the point he would boast about how little money he spends.
View on Reddit #17624427

Shoes__Buttback@reddit

If you put it into a savings account earning the average 3.15% annual interest, you would accrue just over £90 through compound interest over 10 years. Sweet.
View on Reddit #17624331

modumberator@reddit

I'm not going to fantasise about the possibility of there being several million pounds in that jar at some point though.
View on Reddit #17624259

FabulousNorth5098@reddit

£1 in a jar per week for 60 years is £3,120 - I’ll take that cost for a minuscule chance of winning
View on Reddit #17624237

RainbowPenguin1000@reddit

I would happily spend £52 a year in the tiny chance I could win a million
View on Reddit #17623570

hacktheripper@reddit

I don't know anyone who has won the top prize but my uncle has managed to get the 5-ball jackpot a couple of times the jammy gut lol. This was about 15 years ago when the jackpots were still quite big. I think he won about a million or so all together. It pissed my dad of a bit as he was the only one of his siblings that was on the dole and didn't have a job.
View on Reddit #17625850

BigPhatVideos@reddit

My uncle knew and lived close to a couple who won £161m on the Euromillions. They split up a few years after the win and the guy passed away a few years ago.
View on Reddit #17624021

GlobbyChipOil@reddit

“Passed away” With 161M and a divorce going on, I bet a lot of people “pass away”…
View on Reddit #17625849

EmbarrassedDegree424@reddit (OP)

See this is why I play it could happen
View on Reddit #17623356

throwaway2302998@reddit

And this is why the lottery companies make money.
View on Reddit #17624566

dudeperson567@reddit

The lottery only take about 1% of the profits. The rest goes to the winners and societal contributions.
View on Reddit #17625760

Bacon4Lyf@reddit

A lot of the ticket money goes to charity so what’s the problem, £2.50 a go for a chance at a bit of extra cash, and if it doesn’t work out at least you helped make someone else’s life a little bit better via charity. It’s win win basically
View on Reddit #17624722

annieontherainbow@reddit

Exactly, and they’re great charities too, that do actual good for local communities. Such a great system
View on Reddit #17625558

RedDemio-@reddit

When I was a kid at primary school, the rich kids family won the lottery and I never saw him again. They were already wealthy af. I knew right then that life was a fucking joke There were also a family with like 5 daughters and they were all smoking hot. The hottest girls in our school. 2 of the rich brothers ended up marrying 2 of the sisters lol. Just some weird small English village shit lmao
View on Reddit #17625733

Internal-Alarm-3121@reddit

Yes well not too well, but a guy in my village (3 years younger than me) was working down in London whereas we live North. So he goes to the shop and randomly buys a £10 scratch card . Low and behold £4 Million
View on Reddit #17625698

Comprehensive_Lie667@reddit

I have a close friend I met at uni and their grandma won the lottery. I’ve never been told the exact amount but if I had to guess it’d be in the 7-15 million range. She bought a house for all of her children and her on the exact same road. Then, all 6 of her grandchildren were put through private school for their remaining years. She also does a big holiday for everyone from time to time. That’s basically it… they all live a normal existence in houses bought and paid for in a nice but not extravagant area. The grandparents have a nice car as well.
View on Reddit #17625666

bigmartyhat@reddit

My dad's uncle. He was in a syndicate with his mrs and MIL. They shared (if memory serves) £1.3m. Standard lottery afaik, unsure how they selected their numbers.
View on Reddit #17625663

b_u_n_n_y__@reddit

A guy I went to school with won £750k when he was 18 on a lucky dip. Amazingly I don’t think he spaffed it all away. Seems to have made some wise investments and lives a comfortable life.
View on Reddit #17625658

Aggravating-Hunt-299@reddit

I worked with a guy that won £1million on the lottery. He won because he was a huge gaming addict and all his money went on horses/football/scratch cards/lottery tickets. He lost it all ( to gambling) in under three years and was living in a van and working in a restarant
View on Reddit #17625634

Shn_Wttn@reddit

My mother got 5 numbers and a bonus ball on the Lotto around 20 years ago. Back then this was usually a substantial amount (I believe around £500,000 but don’t quote me on that) with said amount being divided by the amount of winners. We assumed this would be at least 10-25k+!but due to the amount of winners she only got around £2000. Again this is my recollection so amounts (other than what she actually won) may not be correct.
View on Reddit #17625505

WatercressFair2822@reddit

I got 5 numbers in 2022, won £1850. Disappointing to say the least.
View on Reddit #17622922

AnythingGoesLondon@reddit

Oh boy, I've played the lottery all of 20 times in 20 years. 5 years ago, I was one digit off the "Set for Life" £10,000 a month jackpot. All 5 numbers, one of the bonus, and then 48 rather than 47 for the last remaining number. So I was £200 richer, at least! I remember googling that game a few months later and seeing the guy who won it, around my age, loving his best life!
View on Reddit #17625489

bumbasquat86@reddit

I got 5 numbers about fifteen years ago and got £80, I didn’t play for a while after that.
View on Reddit #17623907

SGRiggall@reddit

Not big, but I once won £100 on a £2 scratch card then went to cash it and thought I’d get another £5 one and won another £100 strait away
View on Reddit #17622296

West_Yorkshire@reddit

We have a sign at work to check on peoples welfare if they are using winnings to buy more tickets.
View on Reddit #17623596

_whopper_@reddit

On the rare occasions I buy a scratchcard and win, the cashier always either asks if I want another before getting the cash from the till, or will tell me the amount and wait to see if I say I want the cash or another card.
View on Reddit #17625485

Eye-on-Springfield@reddit

What do you ask them and what kind of responses do you get? I can imagine people with serious problems would be reluctant to reveal that to you just because you asked
View on Reddit #17624393

LEVI_TROUTS@reddit

I always say "u OK hun?" and give a really subtle wink.
View on Reddit #17624948

SGRiggall@reddit

Ha that’s mad, I don’t normally do it to be honest, just felt the luck was on my side that day so went for it, was bloody years ago now, I don’t really buy scratch cards for myself anymore
View on Reddit #17623710

UK2SK@reddit

When I was about 19 I had 2 quid so I bought, 2 scratch cards. I won a fiver on one them so I bought 5 more scratch cards, kept repeating the process till I got £130 quid and took my mates out on the piss
View on Reddit #17625256

connectfourvsrisk@reddit

I knew a couple who had won big on the Premium Bonds. Lovely people who were committed to charity work. Theyd both grown up without much and worked hard all their lives and enjoyed not having to worry but just lived sensibly. They bought themselves a nice house and had the odd holiday. And they invested in charities abroad that they went and visited. They’d also help people directly when they were out there paying for children to attend school and stuff like that. Two of the loveliest people I’ve ever known.
View on Reddit #17625428

Forgetful8nine@reddit

Yup. 2 people. The first was a guy who won £7.5 million. He lived a few doors up from my best mate. My mate used to walk his dog sometimes. The second was £14 million. Her son was in the same class as my sister. He had a massive crush on her (this was before his mum won). In primary school, he used to tell my mum that he wanted to marry my sister. I bumped into him a number of years later at college. Think we acknowledged that we recognised each other and that was that. Oh, yeah, my sister never even entertained the idea of dating him - even after the win lol I have no idea where either winner is bow, though.
View on Reddit #17625393

LondonLeather@reddit

My friend who won now lives in Palm Springs California a bit different to Shadwell where he lived before the win.
View on Reddit #17625358

cornishpixievomit@reddit

A woman i used to work with was part of a syndicate that won £28 million on the Euromillions. There was a big kickoff cos a woman who was pregnant had missed that weeks payment. She had gone home sick on the day they all paid in and they refused her share of the winnings
View on Reddit #17625239

TheRealSlabsy@reddit

My sister's ex won £80,000 on the lottery which isn't that much in the grand scheme of things. But he set up his own business with the money, and the business is now absolutely huge. I can guarantee you that he is earning more than 80k a year.
View on Reddit #17625057

LordDunn@reddit

My uncle won £250k
View on Reddit #17625049

Zennyzenny81@reddit

Worked with a guy in the mid 00s that won va low six figure sum. Paid off his mortgage in full and enjoyed a lot of holidays and nice cars for a few years.
View on Reddit #17625045

Countcristo42@reddit

My great grandma did when she was about 16 - we have the newspaper clipping I believe basically all of it went into my great great grandpas business which was failing at the time, saving the whole families finances
View on Reddit #17625012

BargainStore01@reddit

Two, this lass I went to school with near 50m, turned out alright for them. Casey Topham google is your friend. Another my friends dad won the 1 million matchmaker code.
View on Reddit #17624976

greedyboy61@reddit

I knew a guy who won £2.5 million quid, 20 years ago he convinced himself he was a successful business man, brought a business that was worthless for a lot, poured good money after bad, flew first class every where & had a prostitute girlfriend in another country a lot younger than him who he thought he had a relationship with. All gone in about 3 years. I think it was the most extraordinary waste of money I have ever seen, he also became an unhappy arse hole, most of his fantasy's could become reality & they still didn't make him happy & while he had the money he was just a prick. When he had lost it all, he was more back to normal.
View on Reddit #17624959

SeaElephant8890@reddit

I know of a family who won in the early 2000s. Don't know them well enough to say what impact it made to them but I know that have been burgled a number of times. Now I factor how well I could protect myself and my family into my lottery winnings dream.
View on Reddit #17623511

spanksmitten@reddit

There's a viral reddit comment that goes into details the stats about lottery winners and its fascinating https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/s/es51QYeBDf
View on Reddit #17623601

TheMinceKid@reddit

Ah, that comment is fantastic!
View on Reddit #17624915

Frosty_Pepper1609@reddit

One of my teachers at school won £1m-£1.5m about 25 years ago or so. But not long after, one of the other teachers was in a relationship with her. I can't remember the full story though, wonder if they're still together today !
View on Reddit #17624878

cari-strat@reddit

Yes someone in my street won a million, roughly.
View on Reddit #17624759

Dippypiece@reddit

I work in the public sector, a team in my floor about 12 people was in a syndicate they won like 15million I think. Was some drama though as some people on the team who were off at the time or pay before hand weren’t included got a bit nasty. I don’t know the full details. I think in the end a few of the winners pulled together and gave these people some money but not all the winners did.
View on Reddit #17624737

seanyboygloryboy@reddit

A work colleague was in family syndicate for a few years, but they all stopped doing it apart from one family member, and within a couple of months the numbers came up.
View on Reddit #17624675

MeringueSerious@reddit

Bloke from my town won £1.2 million. Bought loads of his “friends” things, cocaine mainly, and also paid for a girl to have a boob job. Don’t think he ever got to see them either. He’s skint now and working for a supermarket stacking shelves
View on Reddit #17624667

ForwardAd5837@reddit

I know two people who’ve won. One couple we sat with at dinner in Menorca in the 90s when I was a young kid - back when it was customary to seat you with strangers - won £100k in the 80s then another £200k some 4/5 years later. That would be akin to winning not far shy of a million today. Then, a lad in my year at high school, his family won £6m. They went from relatively comfortable with a good business to making the business go regional and living quite lavishly. Judging by their house and cars now, the money pumped into the business has paid off, at face value.
View on Reddit #17623199

Top-Hat1126@reddit

The lottery was going in the 1980s they must've won the Pools
View on Reddit #17624582

Icy-Share5876@reddit

My cousin won the jackpot in a work syndicate ~25 years ago. It was around £5m split between 10 people.
View on Reddit #17622050

Shoes__Buttback@reddit

Assuming it got split evenly 10 ways, that's a really nice amount to win. 500k is plenty to change most peoples' lives for the better, pay off the mortgage or just buy a nice home outright, perhaps put enough aside to set your kids up with university/mortgage deposit/wedding/whatever. Not so much that you lose touch with reality and have to deal with people you lost touch with years ago coming begging.
View on Reddit #17624559

ukpopo@reddit

My brother in law's brother (sorry that's a mess). Won a sizeable amount on the euros - It was about 15 million. He's also the biggest chav I have ever met... Him and my brother in law had a really fucked up childhood, consisting of physical abuse from their father and the deaths of their 2 younger siblings. Brother in law and his brother has always talked about winning the lottery and how if one did they would make sure the other would be secure. Except that didn't happen and his brother basically became a greedy ass wipe who shunned his brother spent his money on designer clothes, yachts, trips to Disney, cars and motorbikes to the point where there is no money left after 8 years and they had to sell everything including the house. They were showing up to my brother in law's with new cars weekly at one point.
View on Reddit #17624506

StabbyMcStabbedface@reddit

I won 30k on an online scratch card about 18 years ago.
View on Reddit #17624503

manlikenick@reddit

Not quite the lottery, but I did have a friend that I was close to around 15 years ago. He told me when Bitcoin started to buy $100 of it and sit on it. Obviously I didn’t. He now lives in the Cayman Islands and drives a Ferrari. Not sure how he made his money…
View on Reddit #17624470

chrislomax83@reddit

Friend of a friend won 18 million back in the 90s. It was one of the first big roll over jackpots. He was Muslim (I’ll explain the relevance) and I don’t think they’re allowed to play the lottery as part of their religion. He started to build a mosque in his local community but when the locals found out the source of the funds they all boycotted the plans. It still sits part built to this day. He must still own the land. I’m not sure what happened to him as i haven’t seen the friend in a while but i would imagine he had to pick between donating all the winnings or running off and living his life.
View on Reddit #17624416

Goober495@reddit

Friend of mine won ~£300k in a lottery syndicate, spaffed the lot on holidays and dumb shit.
View on Reddit #17624395

EzioAuditore8@reddit

I know someone who won a million. Their family decided to buy an old manor house with two guest houses (condition was very very rundown and neglected, needed a good few hundred thousand chucking at it) and have since done it up and now live in the manor house and rent out the guest houses on Airbnb and can live off that now. Its in a very nice area in north Yorkshire
View on Reddit #17624342

MDF87@reddit

Knew someone that won £8.9million.
View on Reddit #17624328

ElectronicFly9921@reddit

5 numbers in the work syndicate of 10 people, £350 each, talk about bitter sweet.
View on Reddit #17624290

TheMinceKid@reddit

My sister won 26k on Euromillions. They had a good year.
View on Reddit #17624219

MrsEgg1993@reddit

A colleagues sons friend won £1.5 million. Blew it all and was back in work a year later
View on Reddit #17624209

happylurker233@reddit

When I was in high school (2002), there was a kid in my year. He was from a big family, and they won BIG. Like a couple of million. He instantly became popular, for the wrong reasons obviously. He finished a couple more weeks then they moved and we never saw him again. I found the story by googling their surname. I was in ybe same year as Daniel https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/43m-lottery-win-after-dinner-1105039
View on Reddit #17624184

CPH3000@reddit

I know a Nottingham business owner who won £7million. We weren't friends but we had lots of acquaintances. He was miserable and not great at running his business before he won. From what I hear he stuck the £7million in the bank and carried on being miserable and carried on not being great at running his business. He didn't do anything differently: didn't retire, didn't expand his business, didn't work better, didn't sell up, didn't cheer up!
View on Reddit #17624057

Least_Tailor4142@reddit

Guy I know won £500k the week he was retiring. Already living comfortably and owned a very nice house. 6 months later getting divorced, drinking too much, gambling too much and close to blowing it.
View on Reddit #17623932

24SevenBikes@reddit

I won yesterday.
View on Reddit #17622251

TrueSolid611@reddit

Same
View on Reddit #17622427

Hopeforthefallen@reddit

Tell us here what they are?
View on Reddit #17623819

jetjebrooks@reddit

already got them mate i used the derren brown method of scribbling randomly on a whiteboard
View on Reddit #17623471

24SevenBikes@reddit

You dont want to split the winnings
View on Reddit #17622483

TrueSolid611@reddit

I gave all mine to the dogs trust
View on Reddit #17622548

GrodyWetButt@reddit

Not [donkeys](https://youtu.be/dVLWVj_yapw?si=i3-XIcgPWte4gTmU)?
View on Reddit #17623068

royalblue1982@reddit

My dad's friend won the jackpot back in the 90s - I think it was about £4m, so he might have spit it. It was a textbook of what not to do. His wife divorced him as soon as she could and took half. He then got involved in a number of business ventures with 'friends' that all went south. He'd have these massive parties where he just threw money around. I think it was all gone within 3-4 years save a couple of properties. I remember it being in the Sunday papers.
View on Reddit #17623785

gymgirl1999-@reddit

My da occasionally wins a tenner, someone’s ma won £300,000 on a scratch card once from what I heard
View on Reddit #17623733

bubba-balk@reddit

My mates parents won 3.5 million quid about 20 years ago.
View on Reddit #17623717

LemmysCodPiece@reddit

Yep. It ruined his life.
View on Reddit #17623685

Macshlong@reddit

Yeah, people 3 doors up won 13m Moved out within 2 weeks and never seen or heard from them again.
View on Reddit #17623091

seafactory@reddit

Smart neighbours.
View on Reddit #17623549

Macshlong@reddit

Not many. It’s an older, smaller estate where we all knew each other fairly well. I guess the decision to just ghost everyone and vanish was probably to avoid awkward conversations. We only knew they won because they had a kid that played with ours.
View on Reddit #17623647

spanksmitten@reddit

Not personally but there was a local taxi driver that won and everyone that knew him said he was the most deserving and was so chuffed for him, genuinely. He had lost his wife a few years prior and had 5 daughters. Apparently a really sound bloke. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/heartache-25million-lottery-winner-whose-11790809
View on Reddit #17623432

NrthnLd75@reddit

Friends of parents won a few million last year.
View on Reddit #17623421

Berookes@reddit

I’ve currently got a 100% win rate on the lottery. Bought a lucky dip twice and won £20 both times
View on Reddit #17623397

Lancashire-Lass-404@reddit

Former colleague won £300k ish. This was 20 years ago. Bought house outright and spent a year living her best life.
View on Reddit #17623342

grantus_maximus@reddit

A guy I know won the National Lottery as part of a work syndicate. They all worked at the local Tesco and came away with about £1.5m each I think. I think his wife worked there as well so they got 2 slices. Really nice couple they started up a couple of local businesses after that, but his wife contracted cancer when she was still relatively young and unfortunately died, which kind of put things in perspective for him.
View on Reddit #17622935

UK2SK@reddit

“Which kinda put things in perspective for him.” Lol I love you’ve worded that
View on Reddit #17623327

EmbarrassedDegree424@reddit (OP)

Sorry to hear that
View on Reddit #17622973

dinkidoo7693@reddit

In 2009 A lad I went to school with got 5 numbers plus bonus ball on a rollover week. He quit his job and contacted loads of people from our school year and arranged a massive piss up in a local nightclub. He was chatting up all the lasses that were showing interest and generally acting like a tool. His wife divorced him a couple of months later and since she was heavily pregnant she got the house most of the money.
View on Reddit #17623305

MovieMore4352@reddit

Mid nineties my uncle won a split jackpot on the lottery. Picked his own numbers.
View on Reddit #17623142

Mav_Learns_CS@reddit

Yes, know a couple who won as part of a syndicate. The wife wasn’t even part of it usually but someone dropped out and she took it up.
View on Reddit #17623029

LondonCycling@reddit

I worked somewhere where the staff lottery syndicate came in and 8 people got to share a 6 figure win. I've never bothered with syndicates.
View on Reddit #17623028

FrenzalStark@reddit

My mates dad got 5 and the bonus years ago, think it was within the first couple of years of it starting. Not sure on the exact amount but it was low 6 figures. Enough to pay off the mortgage and have nice holidays but not enough to stop working.
View on Reddit #17623001

Ecstatic_Success_815@reddit

yeah i won a lucky dip on saturday
View on Reddit #17622894

Dmenace89@reddit

A friend I grew up with. Never saw him again...
View on Reddit #17622754