November 27th 2024.
Colin and Chris were two lucky individuals who not only bought a grand mansion, but also founded a charity together. However, their relationship eventually ended in a divorce after they won a staggering amount of £161million. It was an incredible stroke of luck for them, but little did they know that it would only be the third biggest jackpot in the history of UK's EuroMillions.
The record for the biggest jackpot had been set and broken, and almost broken again, all in the span of just four months in the year 2022. This incredible feat was achieved by one lucky ticketholder who won a whopping £177,000,000 in the EuroMillions draw on a Tuesday night. While this amount may not have been enough to claim the top spot, it was still a life-changing sum that could turn anyone's life around.
However, as some lottery winners have experienced, sudden wealth doesn't always bring happiness. So who are the 10 champions who have won the biggest ever UK lottery jackpots? Let's take a look.
At the 10th spot, we have Frances and Patrick Connolly, originally from Northern Ireland, who won an incredible £114,969,775 on New Year's Day in 2019. They used their winnings to buy luxury cars, a mansion with seven acres of land, and even gifted £60million to their friends and family. In addition, they also founded a grant-giving charity called PFC Trust, which funds community groups in Hartlepool.
Next up, we have an anonymous winner who bagged a whopping £121,328,187 on April 24, 2018. Their identity has never been revealed as they chose to remain anonymous. Similarly, another anonymous winner claimed a jackpot of £122,555,350 on April 2, 2021, which was initially just £14million before rolling over several times. And yet another anonymous winner took home a staggering £123,458,008 on June 11, 2019.
At the 6th spot, we have Adrian and Gillian Bayford, from Haverhill in Suffolk, who won a massive sum of £148,656,000 in August 2012. However, their life as lottery winners wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. The couple eventually separated and Gillian got convicted for threatening her ex-boyfriend. She then married a convicted fraudster before leaving him due to his extravagant spending habits. On the other hand, Adrian turned to eating 50 Cornish pasties a day to cope with loneliness after being dumped by younger women. He has since found love with his fiancée, 46-year-old Tracey Biles, and they are now planning to turn their estate into a children's theme park.
Colin and Chris Weir, from Largs in North Ayrshire, were the lucky winners of a massive £161,653,000. However, within a decade of their win, they had divorced after 38 years of marriage. Sadly, Colin passed away a few months later due to health complications. He had spent half of his share of the fortune on cars, property, and even bought a controlling stake in his favorite football club. The couple had also set up a charitable trust to fund projects across Scotland.
At the 4th spot, we have another anonymous winner who took home a staggering £170,221,000 in a Must Be Won draw when the jackpot had reached its cap of €190million. Similarly, an anonymous ticketholder claimed a jackpot of £171,815,297 in just 48 hours of the numbers being drawn on September 23, 2022, making it the third biggest win of that year.
The second spot is held by Joe and Jess Thwaite, a Gloucestershire couple who won an incredible £184,262,899 on May 10, 2022. They were the first of three big winners that year and used their winnings to buy a new wardrobe and drawers for their bedroom. Finally, at the top spot, we have another anonymous winner who took home a whopping £195,707,000 just two months after Joe and Jess Thwaite set the record for the all-time biggest jackpot.
It's amazing to see how a simple lottery ticket can change someone's life forever. While some winners have used their fortunes to live a lavish lifestyle, others have chosen to give back to their community and make a difference in the world. One thing is for sure, winning the lottery is truly a life-changing experience.
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