The biggest lotto winner stories

The UK's biggest lottery winners at a glance

To date it's the twice-weekly Euromillions draw that has made the richest British lottery winners, but this may change with the launch of Powerball in the UK in 2026. It should be noted that UK winners of any Powerball jackpot will receive their prize over 30 years. This shouldn't alter the raw stats but punters of a certain age may want to factor this detail into their game selection...

The UK's biggest lottery winners - what happened next

Anonymous, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2024, 2026

We know very little about how six of the biggest winners have used their combined jackpot of more than a billion pounds (!). This is, of course, just as it should be. They wanted to remain out of the public eye and their wishes have been respected.

Joe and Jess Thwaite won £184,262,899 in May 2022

After becoming the second-biggest lottery winners in British history (and the biggest winners at the time), Joe and Jess Thwaite from Gloucester launched their very own investment fund. 

They have used their wealth to support a range of business ventures. 

It has not been confirmed whether they have yet taken their twin girls to their dream holiday in Hawaii, but reports suggest that the family's extensive menagerie of ponies, geckos, chickens and dogs have benefited greatly from their owners' windfall...  

Colin and Chris Weir won £161,653,000 in July 2011

Colin Weir from North Ayrshire in Scotland's most notable investment was the Glasgow football club Partick Thistle.

He acquired a 55% stake in the Scottish Championship side.  

In 2014, he also donated £1 million of his winnings to the 'Yes' Campaign in the Scottish Independence referendum and continued to donate to the Scottish National Party for years after.

He and his wife Chris divorced in 2019 after 38 years of marriage.

Sadly, Colin passed away not long after, at the age of 71. His Partick Thistle holding was left to the local fan community so that part of his legacy lives on.

Adrian and Gillian Bayford won £148,656,000 in August 2012

Adrian and Gillian Bayford, of Haverhill, Suffolk, won €190m euros in a Euromillions draw in August 2012, which came to over £148m. 

The couple bought a Grade II listed estate in Cambridgeshire, complete with cinema and billiards room, but it was sold in 2021, some years after the pair divorced.

That wasn't the end of Gillian's woes, however. After her divorce from Adrian, she married convicted fraudster Brian Deans. He had been jailed for defrauding a Tesco store of over £13,000, but she was unaware of this when they met in Dundee.

She later kicked Deans out after he was said to have squandered millions from her share of the fortune.

Frances and Patrick Connolly won  £114,969,775 in January 2019

A rather happier tale is that of the Connollys who scooped nearly £115 million in the New Year's Day Euromillions draw in 2019. 

The couple, from Moira, County Down, wrote a list of 50 family and friends to share their good fortune with – none of whom were initially told of their win!

The parents of three daughters, they celebrated their win in a low-key way, but went on to set up two charitable foundations and Mrs Connolly estimates that they've  given away £60m to date to charitable causes, as well as friends and family.

She considers helping others to be an addiction, saying: "It gives you a buzz and it's addictive. I'm addicted to it now."

Lottery winner stories - some winners who made their money work

Here are a few more six, seven, and in one case eight figure jackpot winners whose wins could also be said to be life-changing (in a good way)..

Mark Brudenell won £916,915 in February 1997

Mark, a chemical tanker driver at the time of his win, and his wife, Cheryl, manager of a local bakery, could only dream of having a business of their own before their win. But in February 1997, that all changed when they scooped close to a million pounds on the lottery. They used a majority of their winnings to set up their own double-glazing business, which they have been running successfully for more than three decades. Winning the lottery set the couple up for life and enabled them to steer their lives in a new direction.

Roy Gibney won £7,500,000 in July 1998

Roy was a sheet metal worker nearing retirement when he became a £7.5-million lotto winner. His win enabled him to quit the workforce and start his own sheet metal company in partnership with a friend and ex-colleague. He also invested in a number of properties in Grimsby, Nairn as well as a luxury villa in Cyprus. With all the good things in his life, Roy felt the need to give back and supported many charities in running fishing days and even took to dressing up as Father Christmas for the local hospital.

Eloise Heard won £1,346,840 in December 2011

Colchester native Eloise Heard became one of the UK’s richest teenagers when she won over £1 million. The down-to-earth nineteen-year old, who was working in Co-Op at the time of her win, has used her windfall to build her mobile beauty business, while her husband David, has set up an online toy company. They are both working hard to grow their businesses and enjoy the peace of mind that comes with having financial security at such a young age.

Deana Sampson won £5,439,681 in October 1996

Deana, a mum of two, was working as a mobile hairdresser when over £5 million fell into her lap. Living with her husband in a council house and struggling to make ends meet at the time, she grabbed the opportunity to turn their lives around. She knew that she had to make the money work for her and her family, so, putting her business savvy to work, she invested in an online lingerie business, as well as the bar and restaurant industry. Her smart investments have earned her a sizeable rental property portfolio, which includes a holiday home in Florida!

Dean Allen won £13,861,061 in August 2000

Dean was 26 and working as a printer when his stars aligned and nearly £14 million came his way. He immediately swapped his Ford Fiesta for a Porsche and shortly after married his girlfriend, Louise, who he had been seeing for three months. The couple used the win to help many charities close to their hearts. They bought much needed equipment for the special care baby unit at Princess Alexandra Hospital, as well as a heart and lung machine for the  London Chest Hospital in Bethnal Green. They also made a generous donation to the Little Haven Hospice in Southend. Although there have been amazing personal experiences, which includes ice racing in Finland, Dean maintains that the most rewarding part of his win has been able to help his family and support charities close to his heart.

Karen Child won £8,471,383 in February 2007

Karen was juggling the busy life of a single mother and working as a checkout assistant at her local Tesco in Clowne, when her lucky day arrived in 2007. With three mouths to feed, Karen immediately gave up work to make a better life for her children. Her ambitious business ventures have made her owner of two local bars, which her family members help to run, while she has also financially supported local sports teams. Today, she is director and shareholder of the Sheffield Sharks Basketball team. Her very latest project is the establishment of The Child Foundation that supports local children and families.

Everybody wins

Dean and Karen highlight the adage that it's not just the prize winners who benefit when someone wins the lottery - good causes benefit whenever anyone plays. So you can reflect that whenever you have a flutter on The Big Win, All or Nothing, QuickWin or your Instant Win game of choice, you're doing some good - and of course, you could win big too! Just make sure you're having fun, playing responsibly. Remember, to play any lottery or any of our other games you need to be over 18, and it pays to be GambleAware.