5 ways some brand new millionaires spent their lottery winnings 鈥 and how you can (maybe) scoop a jackpot for yourself
3 August 2018
The shop assistant told them it wasn’t a winner, so ripped it up and threw it away.
But Fred and Lesley’s ticket was a winner. And a big winner at that.
The lottery machine instructed the couple to contact Camelot, so they retrieved the scraps from the bin and ended up walking away with £58m.
But what will they do with their windfall? Here are some ideas...
1. Mow a fancy design into your lawn
A Billericay couple who won £3m on a £10 scratch card in 2016 used some of their winnings to help family and friends, as well as buying new cars and seeing the world.
But they also had a bit of fun by having a giant Champagne bottle design mowed into their lawn.
2. Get married
Tony and Deb had been engaged for 30 years, but were never able to afford the cost of a wedding.
A £1m lottery win allowed them to clear their debts and finally get round to tying the knot.
3. Give it away
Thea described how her faith guided her to use her lottery winnings generously.
See also: Can a lottery winner get richer by giving it all away?
4. Start your own business
Adrian won a mighty £148 million on the Euromillions in 2012.
He used some of his winnings to open up a record shop in Cambridge.
See also: Gardener wins £3m on lottery scratch card
5. Keep doing your job
Julie won the lottery, but loved her job too much to give it up.
See also: EuroMillions win: Port Talbot hospital workers’ reaction
How to win the lottery
This is the moment, on Boxing Day 2012, when one lucky lottery winner had his win confirmed:-
But is it possible to increase your own chances of experiencing the same moment of elation?
What are the best numbers to choose?
Statistician Jennifer Rogers from the University of Oxford gave Hannah Fry her top tips.
Dos, don鈥檛s and maybes
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DO check the amount
鈥淚 genuinely believed, when I saw the email, that鈥檒l be another 拢2.40 because that鈥檚 all I ever won.鈥
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DON鈥橳 settle for just one win
George Traykov said winning the lottery wasn鈥檛 the most exciting thing to happen to him.
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MAYBE go public
Ray and Barbara won 拢7.6m in 2000 and say they haven鈥檛 suffered from going public.
-
One of the lottery鈥檚 youngest ever winners at 17, her first few weeks were 鈥渜uite overwhelming鈥.
Some help and advice for winners
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