A new survey reveals that 27% of people would travel the world if they won the lottery jackpot, while 14% would keep their win a secret.
The research, conducted by Opinium for The National Lottery, also found that a small minority—three percent—would invest in their favourite team or become 'sports owners' by buying a club outright.
Real-Life Winners' Stories
The findings were supported by the real-life experiences of lottery millionaires. Elaine Thompson, 70, who won £2.7m in 1995 with her husband Derek, 68, travelled the world on holiday, including several trips to Las Vegas. They also set up a holiday home where they could give free getaways for children with terminal diseases.
A £115m lottery winner gave away half of her winnings after hitting the mega jackpot on New Year's Day, 2019. Frances Connolly, 59, agreed to a 'budget' with her husband Patrick, 61, but gave away the money allocated for 10 years in six months. She joked: “He gave me an annual budget for good causes. I agreed to it. I've already spent all the money. We might have to revise it.” She added: “People do ask, 'How did you cope with that amount of money?' I say: 'I never did. It wasn't in the bank two days'.
Entrepreneurs and Legacy Builders
Entrepreneur Katie Donaghey, 35, a £1m lottery winner from Newcastle, loved taxidermy with animals and has turned it into a business. She stuffs dogs, rats, mice and voles and puts them into displays. She explained: “I love doing art, and my daughter loves the stuffed mice.”
Andy Carter, Senior Winners’ Advisor at Allwyn, operator of The National Lottery, said: “One of the fascinating things about life-changing National Lottery wins is that everyone imagines spending their winnings differently. While some dream of holidays, homes and luxury purchases, others focus on helping family, supporting charities or securing their future. Whether you’re a globe trotter dreaming of adventures, a budding entrepreneur itching to launch your own empire, or a legacy builder wanting to make a difference, a jackpot win means something different to everyone. And a £440M Powerball jackpot win could give you the freedom to be a little bit of everything.”
The findings coincided with a £440m Powerball draw scheduled for tomorrow.
