OUTTA LUCK
My dad won £750,000 lottery jackpot but burned through the LOT – he now lives off his pension & didn’t give me a penny
The unlucky child even claims he was cut out of the will
A LUCKY dad won a £750,000 lottery jackpot, but squandered the entire fortune, now relying on his pension and leaving his child without a penny.
A Reddit user recently shared the heartbreaking story of how their father and his partner won an incredible £750,000 in the lottery, only to splash the entire fortune within just 15 years.
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What’s worse, the user revealed that despite the life-changing sum, their father never shared a penny with them and hasn’t even included them in his will.
The disillusioned Redditor explained their painful situation in a post that quickly gained traction online.
Their father and his partner enjoyed the high life after their lottery win, but now find themselves relying on their pensions, having burned through every last bit of their winnings.
“Nope,” they replied when another user asked if they’d received any of the money.
They said: “I’m not in the will either. It’s supposed to be split between my youngest sister and his partner’s only daughter.
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"Considering said daughter is already on their bank account and has helped spend several thousands already, I doubt my sister will see a penny either.”
This tale of financial misfortune and familial neglect struck a chord with many, bringing to light the darker side of lottery wins.
The Reddit user’s story is a stark reminder that while money can solve many problems, it can also create deep rifts within families, leaving some members feeling isolated and betrayed.
Unfortunately, this isn’t an isolated incident.
Last year, a man named Glen revealed how his sister, Debbie Nuttall, won a staggering £61million in the EuroMillions, but didn’t share any of it with him.
Glen, who was living in temporary accommodation and caring for his autistic son, only found out about his sister’s life-changing win through a newspaper article.
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The pair haven’t spoken in over two decades due to a bitter family dispute, and Glen doesn’t expect to see a single penny from her newfound fortune.
Despite their once-close relationship and shared childhood memories, Glen and his sister’s bond deteriorated after a heated argument in their early thirties.
Now, they are practically strangers, with Debbie reportedly walking past Glen’s son in a supermarket without even acknowledging him.
I landed a $1m lotto jackpot after being told I didn't win - surveillance video revealed sinister plot to steal my prize
Reflecting on the situation, Glen said: “Sometimes I think about it and it makes me sad.
"But then I think, ‘I’ve tried with you but you’ve made no effort whatsoever’.”
These stories paint a grim picture of what can happen when money enters the family dynamic.
While many of us dream of winning the lottery and sharing our good fortune with loved ones, the reality can be far more complicated.
For the Reddit user, their father’s fortune has evaporated, and they’ve been excluded from any future inheritance.
UK's biggest lottery winners
By Ethan Singh
- Anonymous winner - £195,707,000
A UK ticket-holder scooped the record EuroMillions jackpot of £195 million on July 19 2022 – the biggest National Lottery win of all time.
The holder, who remains anonymous to this day, amassed the fortune with just one lucky ticket.
- Joe and Jess Thwaite - £184,262,899.10
Britain's previous EuroMillions record holders were Joe and Jess Thwaite.
The couple won a record-breaking £184million jackpot in May 2022 and shared hopes of a Hawaiian holiday and a new horse box for their children's ponies.
Joe bought his winning ticket online on May 10, 2022, and the following morning received an email with good news.
As he learnt of the huge win, he was in disbelief and initially kept it for himself as he did not want to disturb his wife, who was sleeping.
Joe, a communications sales engineer, and Jess, who runs a hairdressing salon with her sister, have been married for 11 years and have two children.
- Colin and Chris Weir, £161,653,000
Colin and Christine Weir landed the colossal prize money in 2011 and were Europe’s second-biggest winners until someone in Italy won a jackpot worth £193m in 2019.
They splashed the cash at an astounding rate of £100,000 a week before tragedy struck.
But at the time of Colin’s death in December 2019 his share of the prize money had dwindled by around £40m.
He spent the millions living a life of luxury, forking out for sports cars, property and the football club he supported.
Colin and Christine divorced shortly before his death after being married for 38 years.
He left money for their children Carly and Jamie.
- Adrian and Gillian Brayford - £148,600,000
Adrian and Gillian won 190 million euros in a EuroMillions draw in August 2012, which came to just over £148 million.
But Adrian split from Gillian the following year because of the stress of the win.
The couple bought a Grade II listed estate in Cambridgeshire, complete with cinema and billiards room, but it was sold in 2021.
After divorcing in 2013, he failed to woo ex-sausage factory worker Marta Jarosz — but fell for stable girl Sam Burbidge.
She left him in 2017, taking 30 prize horses Adrian bought.
It might have worked out in the end for Adrian though as the former postman was seen smiling with ambulance worker Tracey Biles last year.
- Frances and Patrick Connolly - £114,969,775
Former social worker and teacher Frances set up two charitable foundations after she and her husband hit the jackpot.
They scooped almost £115 million on New Year’s Day 2019.
She estimates that she has already given away £60 million to charitable causes, as well as friends and family.
- Richard and Debbie Nuttall - £61,000,000
The couple from Colne, Lancashire, took home £61 million on January 30 2024.
Both 54, they were enjoying a holiday in Fuerteventura, celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary.
But they then discovered the big EuroMillions win.
Richard revealed they originally thought they had won £2.60, but then received another email telling the pair to check their account.
Other eye-watering anonymous winners:
- 2019 - £123million
Another anonymous winner scooped up a prize of £123,458,008 in the June Superdraw rollover.
- 2021 - £122million
Following nine rollovers, one ticketholder bagged the £122,550,350 jackpot last April.
The successful participant chose to remain anonymous.
- 2018 - £121million
Another anonymous winner found their fortune during the Superdraw jackpot rollover in April 2018, securing £121,328,187.
It’s a sobering thought for anyone who has ever fantasised about hitting the jackpot.
As the debate rages on, one thing is clear: money has a way of bringing out the best—and the worst—in people.
Whether it’s the joy of a windfall or the heartbreak of being left behind, the impact of a lottery win goes far beyond the numbers on a cheque
Meanwhile, unlike this Redditor's dad, it's wise to avoid the temptation of splashing all your wins.
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One winning couple did exactly that and decided to continue their normal life and even went straight back to work.
Elsewhere, a Peterborough mum revealed her own lottery road bump when she told of how she couldn't claim her entire £1million lottery jackpot because of a "pact" made 30 years ago.
How to play the EuroMillions
Here's how to play the EuroMillions:
Pick five numbers from 1-50 and two Lucky Stars from 1-12, or try a Lucky Dip for randomly selected numbers.
Choose to play on a Tuesday or Friday – or both, then the number of weeks you’d like to play.
You can play up to seven lines of numbers and buy up to 10 play slips at a time.
You’re good to go!
You can buy EuroMillions tickets online every day from 6am until 11pm. But remember, to play on a draw day, you’ll need to buy your ticket before 7.30pm.
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