For many people, winning the lottery is a dream come true. There are often millions of dollars that are awarded and life seems like it would be easier. For many lottery winners, however, life becomes anything but simple. It could be said, in fact, that winning the lottery won’t make you happy at all.

In multiple studies, people who win the lottery are twice as likely to file for bankruptcy every year than the general population.

• Lottery Winners: 10+ Unbelievable Stories Of Lottery Winners From All Over The World. If you want to live comfortably for the rest of your life, winning the lottery puts you in the express lane. The reality, however, is that we can’t all be winners. Out of millions of people, only a select few are graced by lady luck.
• While all these lottery winners went the traditional route and bought homes, cars and went on luxury vacations, they also made purchases may have some of you scratching your heads! Jay Vargas from South Carolina become one of the youngest lottery winners ever in the United States when he scooped up a $35.3 million Powerball prize in May, 2008.

Why is it that lottery winners can go bankrupt so quickly? Part of it is because of the rapid influx of money. When possessions are the gears that generate personal happiness, it is easy to go on a spending spree to buy nice things. It can even seem like that money will never run out! That’s the problem with money, however, because even hundreds of millions of dollars will eventually disappear under poor budgeting habits.

Three Fast Facts About Lottery Winner Bankruptcies

1. According to multiple studies, about 70% of all lottery winners end up going broke and filing for a bankruptcy.
2. About 1% of lottery winners will go bankrupt every single year.
3. In a recent study of lottery winners, only 55% of them felt like they were happier after winning the lottery than before it – 43% said that their money had no effect on their happiness.

Takeaway: If you look at this sample data, it is clear to see that money doesn’t actually buy happiness. It can purchase a peace of mind because there is an improved level of financial security so that there are fewer worries. 23% of lottery winners say, however, that the reason they were happier because they could buy whatever they wanted. There were even 2% of respondents who said that they were less happy with life after winning the lottery! Although it seems like a dream come true, without proper management, it could end up destroying a life instead.

What Does Winning The Lottery Actually Do To Life?

Since it began a whopping £71 billion in prize money has been paid to UK winners across all National Lottery games creating than 5,500 millionaires and multi-millionaires.

1. 95% of people who have won the lottery are still married after they’ve won all that cash.
2. 58% of people say that their extended family is happier because they were able to win the lottery and provide better financial support.
3. 37% of people stated that their families were less happy because of winning the lottery.
4. 9 out of every 10 lottery winners believe that their new family wealth will be gone by the third generation.
5. 83% of lottery winners have given at least some portion of their winnings to another family member, with siblings being the most likely family members to receive some cash.
6. 17% of families asked their family member who won a lottery of at least $100,000 for a cash gift. Lottery winners who won at least $4 million saw twice as many cash requests.
7. 90% of winners who already had a best friend say that their relationship is still intact.

Takeaway: Although it is easy to see how money could change someone or a family, it’s refreshing to see that for most families it doesn’t make too many changes. Relationships are intact for the most part and families are able to prepare for a more secure financial future. It is interesting, however, to see that most families believe that the money which was won will be gone in less than a century – even with proper investments. This means bankruptcy isn’t just a risk right now for a lottery winner. It also means that families over the long term may also be at a higher risk for a bankruptcy as well.

What Do Lottery Winners Spend Money On?

1. 44% of lottery winners had spent all of their winnings within 5 years of winning the lottery.
2. 4 out of every 10 lottery winners have made a focused effort to increase the amount of contributions to a charity.
3. 1 out of 5 lottery winners decide to take their first vacation outside of their home country for the first time with their winnings.
4. 7% of lottery winners decide to purchase a RV of some sort.
5. 75% of lottery winners who live in an apartment at the time of their win will move into a single family home.
6. 1 out of 4 lottery winners have purchased land or a home in a foreign country with their new money.
7. Only 3% of lottery winners have moved their children from public to private schools.

Takeaway: The most interesting statistic of all is that 1 in 3 lottery winners have gained weight since they won the lottery. The effect of stuff on happiness must also transfer over to dietary aspects as people purchase food items that they may not always purchase or choose to eat out more often because of their increase in available money. It is clear to see that lottery winners have a higher risk of bankruptcy simply because there is a lack of control within the spending process for a vast majority of people and little focus on long-term investments.

Lottery Winners Uk List All Presidents

It Doesn’t Take A Lot To Increase Bankruptcy Risk

1. Lottery winners with a prize of at least $50,000 are more likely to file for bankruptcy within 5 years of winning their prize.
2. Overall happiness levels of lottery winners spikes when they win, but returns to pre-winning levels within months.
3. It’s not all bad – a 2006 UK study showed that lottery winners tend to have better psychological health than the general population.
4. For lottery prizes that are less than 1 year of a person’s income, personal happiness is not affected whatsoever and neither are the bankruptcy risks.
5. One of the greatest misconceptions that people have in winning the lottery is that it will change your outlook on life, but it does not change you as a person.
6. New Yorkers are shelling out more than $9 billion a year to try their luck in the lotto.

Takeaway: If you ever win the lottery, create a budget and a new life plan. Keep your spending in control. Don’t do anything crazy with your cash. Be smart about your investments and you’ll be able to pursue your dreams. If you don’t, you might just end up filing for bankruptcy too.

1. Biggest Winners

There have been hundreds of EuroMillions jackpot winners crowned since the first draw in February 2004, with lucky players landing prizes worth between €10 million and €210 million. All nine participating countries have enjoyed success, from split jackpots with multiple winners to single ticket holders and syndicates of friends, family members and colleagues.

Total Winners to Date

The total number of EuroMillions winners across all thirteen prize tiers is shown below. This is updated shortly after the latest draw has taken place.

2,000,000,000

To view a comprehensive breakdown of winners from all countries, visit the Winner Statistics page.

Biggest Jackpot Winners from the UK

Biggest Jackpot Winners from Austria

Biggest Jackpot Winners from Belgium

Biggest Jackpot Winners from France

Biggest Jackpot Winners from Ireland

Biggest Jackpot Winners from Luxembourg

Biggest Jackpot Winners from Portugal

Biggest Jackpot Winners from Spain

Biggest Jackpot Winners from Switzerland

Top 10 Jackpot Winners

Find out more about some of the luckiest ticket holders who have managed to beat the odds and win the biggest prizes available since EuroMillions started:

• Location: Switzerland
• Date: Friday 26^th February 2021
• Winner: Unknown

Setting a new record for the biggest jackpot win in EuroMillions history, a ticket holder from Switzerland scooped the entire capped top prize on Friday 26th February.

The win came less than three months after the previous capped jackpot was won in France and, as a result, the maximum jackpot has now increased by €10 million for the next time it gets hit, in line with the game rules.

Few details are known about the winner, other than the fact that they purchased their ticket online in German-speaking Switzerland. The lucky winner purchased two tickets at a total cost of CHF 7.00. The new record jackpot winner won more than 32.8 million times their original stake.

• Location: France
• Date: Friday 11^th December 2020
• Winner: Unknown

Setting the record for the biggest jackpot won in EuroMillions' history so far, a lucky ticket holder in France scooped the €200 million jackpot on Friday 11th December.

The jackpot reached the limit after a €130 million Superdraw that took place on 20th November rolled over for the six subsequent draws, before finally landing in France when a ticket holder matched the entire winning combination.

This was the first time in the history of the game that a jackpot exceeding the previous €190 million limit had been hit. As a result, the new jackpot cap stands at €210 million for the next time the limit is reached.

List Of All Lottery Winners

• Location: United Kingdom
• Date: Tuesday 8^th October 2019
• Winner: Anonymous

One of the most extraordinary periods in EuroMillions history resulted in one UK ticket holder winning the joint-biggest EuroMillions jackpot of all time and the biggest lottery prize ever won in the UK.

Lottery Winners Uk List All Rounds

After 18 consecutive rollovers the jackpot hit €190 million - which was the cap at the time - on 24th September 2019, before another four draws went by still without a winner. A 'Must Be Won' draw, in which all of the prize money was guaranteed to be given away, took place on Tuesday 8th October and one player matched all the numbers in that draw to win the entire jackpot.

The player staked their claim just a couple of days after the draw and it was later confirmed that they had decided to stay anonymous, so no more details were revealed.

• Location: Suffolk, England
• Date: Friday 10^th August 2012
• Winners: The Bayfords

The Bayfords won an incredible €190 million jackpot in the draw on Friday 10th August 2012, the joint-biggest ever jackpot in EuroMillions history and the UK’s second-biggest lottery prize at the time. The duo, then based in Suffolk, bought their winning Lucky Dip ticket in a Premier Convenience Store on Queen Street, Haverhill. They scooped the maximum nine-figure amount after the jackpot cap was reached following 14 successive rollovers.

Adrian, a former postman who also had a movie and music memorabilia shop, and Gillian, previously a healthcare assistant, enjoyed their new-found wealth almost immediately by splashing out on top-of-the-range cars, helicopter flights and multi-million-pound mansions. However, the couple, who have two children together, divorced only 15 months after their big win following the breakdown of their nine-year marriage.

Lottery Winners Uk List Allowed

• Location: Castelo Branco, Portugal
• Date: Friday 24^th October 2014
• Winners: Anonymous

A EuroMillions ticket holder in Portugal decided to remain anonymous after matching all seven numbers to land a spectacular €190 million windfall on Friday 24th October 2014. A EuroMillions Superdraw was held three weeks earlier, and the jackpot cap was reached following five successive rollovers. The lucky player became the joint-biggest winner in the lottery’s history as well as Portugal’s 53rd recipient of the top prize.

The mystery winner bought their jackpot-winning ticket from Sobedis Tabacaria, a small shop within the Alegro Shopping Centre owned at the time by Graça Nunes. It was the first time the shop had produced a jackpot-winning EuroMillions ticket in the 15 years they’d been selling lottery tickets, and they reported an increase in ticket sales following the news about the anonymous winner.

• Location: Las Palmas, Spain
• Date: Friday 6^th October 2017
• Winners: Anonymous

The record-equalling €190 million sum was the third time in EuroMillions history the maximum prize had been won. A EuroMillions Superdraw was held on Friday 15th September 2017, rolling over for five draws until the jackpot cap was reached on Tuesday 3rd October. The jaw-dropping nine-figure amount was then claimed in the following draw by a single ticket holder from Spain.

The winner bought their ticket in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria and had it validated in El Mirador’s shopping centre. The area is renowned for being popular with British tourists, and it isn’t known whether the lucky ticket holder was a local Spanish resident or a tourist visiting the area on holiday. They were the 83rd jackpot winner to come from Spain, comfortably surpassing the country’s previous biggest jackpot win worth €137 million in June 2014.

• Location: Dublin, Ireland and Limburg, Belgium
• Date: Friday 7^th June 2013
• Winners: Anonymous

A EuroMillions Superdraw took place on Friday 7th June 2013 for €100 million, but the jackpot was not won so rolled over for five successive draws, reaching €187 million. The nine-figure top prize was eventually won on Tuesday 25th June 2013 by two tickets: one from Ireland and another from Belgium, both of which correctly matched all seven numbers. The jackpot was split equally between them, with each receiving €93 million. It’s the biggest shared EuroMillions jackpot in history. Both winners decided to remain anonymous.

• Location: Largs, Scotland
• Date: Tuesday 12^th July 2011
• Winners: Chris and Colin Weir

Chris and Colin Weir won €185 million in the draw on Tuesday 12th July 2011 and were unveiled to the public shortly afterwards at a press conference held at the Macdonald Inchyra Hotel and Spa in Polmont, near Falkirk. Their winning ticket was purchased from a McColls store in their local town of Largs, Ayshire. After their win, they were reportedly listed in 430th place in the Sunday Times Rich List.

Colin, a retired STV cameraman, and Chris, formally a psychiatric nurse, enjoyed being charitable with their new-found wealth. They’ve donated to several different causes since the win, setting up charitable trusts, funding the refurbishment of Largs Thistle Football Club’s ground, and donating £1 million to the National Theatre of Scotland.

Due to a favourable exchange rate at the time, the Weirs’ jackpot remained the biggest ever won in the UK for over eight years. After converting their winnings to sterling they received £161 million, and although the Bayfords’ €190 million prize was worth more in euros, it was worth over £10 million less in sterling, at £148 million.

• Location: France and Portugal
• Date: Friday 3^rd February 2006
• Winners: Anonymous

Three jackpot winners – two from France and one from Portugal – split a top prize of €183 million on Friday 3rd February 2006, each of them receiving €61 million. The jackpot had rolled over for 11 successive draws, driving ticket sales through the roof in many of the participating countries. The Portuguese player was said to have bought their ticket in Odivelas, in the Lisbon region, while one of the winning French tickets was bought in Paris’ 10th arrondissement, near Gare du Nord.

• Location: United Kingdom, France, Spain, Portugal, Ireland and Belgium
• Date: Friday 17^th November 2006
• Winners: Dean Hardman and Anonymous

One of the most sensational draws in EuroMillions history took place on Friday 17th November 2006, when a rollover cap was still in place. The cap meant that the jackpot could only roll over for twelve draws before it had to be won. In the 12th draw, the jackpot prize fund had to be paid out regardless of whether anyone matched all of the numbers.

With no jackpot winners on the night, the top prize fund of €183 million was shared amongst the twenty winning ticket holders in the second prize tier, each of whom matched five numbers and one Lucky Star. The jackpot was evenly split amongst the winners, with each receiving a 5% share worth €9.6 million. There were seven winning ticket holders in the United Kingdom, four in France, three apiece in Spain and Portugal, two in Ireland, and one in Belgium.

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