Andy Carter has advised more than 2,500 lottery winners over the past 20 years, helping them navigate life after a big win. He says the key to understanding why some marriages end is simple: sudden wealth amplifies existing issues.
Wealth exposes relationship cracks
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Carter explained: "Sudden wealth will exaggerate how you are. So if you are very happy in your marriage, you'll have a lovely time. And if you are having a difficult marriage, it gives you something else to be difficult about."
The National Lottery has created over 8,000 millionaires since 1994, handing out £103billion in prizes. But not all stories have happy endings. Britain's youngest winner Callie Rogers and Michael Carroll, dubbed the 'lotto lout', both went bankrupt after frittering away their fortunes.
High-profile splits
Couples like Roger and Lara Griffiths, and Adrian and Gillian Bayford, saw their marriages collapse after winning. Adrian and Gillian split just 15 months after his £148million win in 2012. Colin and Chris Weir, who won £161million in 2011, separated eight years later after nearly four decades together. Colin died less than a year after the split.
Common mistakes
Carter says the biggest error winners make in the days after a payout is "trying to be too generous" with friends and family. He advises caution, noting that a solicitor might question giving large sums to children. The National Lottery operator Allwyn now offers financial planning services to help winners plan for the future.
Many past winners who lost everything lacked the support now available, Carter suggests.
