On 12 February 2010 a Gloucestershire couple claimed the biggest British win in the European lottery. Nigel Page and Justine Laycock took home £56 million. Nigel, an ardent sky diver, was quoted as saying “I’ve jumped out of a plane at 12 000 feet but that’s nothing compared to how I’m feeling now!”
Players of the UK lottery draw must frequently dream about how their lives will change once they win the top prize. Is it such a great experience as we all imagine it must be?
A winner of the British National Lottery, Mark Gardiner, received £11 million in 1995. After exposing himself to the publicity, he proceeded to loan out and spend most of the money, losing friendships and the good will of many family members along the way. Mark later said, “The trouble isn’t the money, it’s what the money brings along with it. It enabled me to get rid of a box of problems - but it just gets replaced by a posher box of even bigger problems.”
The promoters of the UK lottery draw, Camelot, have recognised the biggest challenge experienced by winners is the leap from having no money one day to being wealthy the next. As a result, they have set up a support system. The company’s winners’ advisor, Dot Renshaw, says she tells new winners to not rush into any decisions but rather take a holiday and get used to the upheaval in their lives.
Camelot have several resources available to help winners. For example, staff are on hand to deal with and reply to any begging letters received. Also new winners are matched with previous winners who can act as mentors and arrange winners’ meetings where all winners can talk about the experience.
One of the most useful services available is the provision of professionals to help with the administration of such daunting amounts of money. Camelot can suggest banks, financial advisors and lawyers.
As Mark Gardiner found out, publicity is one of the potentially biggest curses faced by UK lottery draw winners. For this reason, new winners can opt for anonymity and the Press Complaints Commission have rules in place to ensure strict adherence.
The research company, Ipsos Mori, have undertaken a series of studies into the fate of British National Lottery winners. Their findings show that the advice being given seems to making a difference. One poll found 55% of winners considered themselves happier after winning the jackpot than before. Interestingly, nine out of ten married winners were still with their original partner and the same proportion of all winners had retained their friends.
More recently a study showed the brands of car favoured by UK lottery draw winners. The most expected brand, Ferrari, was not in the top ten and Range Rover and Porsche only at six and eight respectively. The top four brands were Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Mini and Vauxhall.
Two thousand three hundred millionaires have been created by the UK lottery draw since its creation in 1994 and the experiences learned from past winners has certainly made receiving the top prizes much more manageable and enjoyable. Mark Gardiner has found his life is getting better now too. He has fallen back in love with and is about to remarry his first wife.
To find out more about the lotteries and how to make the most of them, visit UK lottery draw.
Players of the UK lottery draw must frequently dream about how their lives will change once they win the top prize. Is it such a great experience as we all imagine it must be?
A winner of the British National Lottery, Mark Gardiner, received £11 million in 1995. After exposing himself to the publicity, he proceeded to loan out and spend most of the money, losing friendships and the good will of many family members along the way. Mark later said, “The trouble isn’t the money, it’s what the money brings along with it. It enabled me to get rid of a box of problems - but it just gets replaced by a posher box of even bigger problems.”
The promoters of the UK lottery draw, Camelot, have recognised the biggest challenge experienced by winners is the leap from having no money one day to being wealthy the next. As a result, they have set up a support system. The company’s winners’ advisor, Dot Renshaw, says she tells new winners to not rush into any decisions but rather take a holiday and get used to the upheaval in their lives.
Camelot have several resources available to help winners. For example, staff are on hand to deal with and reply to any begging letters received. Also new winners are matched with previous winners who can act as mentors and arrange winners’ meetings where all winners can talk about the experience.
One of the most useful services available is the provision of professionals to help with the administration of such daunting amounts of money. Camelot can suggest banks, financial advisors and lawyers.
As Mark Gardiner found out, publicity is one of the potentially biggest curses faced by UK lottery draw winners. For this reason, new winners can opt for anonymity and the Press Complaints Commission have rules in place to ensure strict adherence.
The research company, Ipsos Mori, have undertaken a series of studies into the fate of British National Lottery winners. Their findings show that the advice being given seems to making a difference. One poll found 55% of winners considered themselves happier after winning the jackpot than before. Interestingly, nine out of ten married winners were still with their original partner and the same proportion of all winners had retained their friends.
More recently a study showed the brands of car favoured by UK lottery draw winners. The most expected brand, Ferrari, was not in the top ten and Range Rover and Porsche only at six and eight respectively. The top four brands were Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Mini and Vauxhall.
Two thousand three hundred millionaires have been created by the UK lottery draw since its creation in 1994 and the experiences learned from past winners has certainly made receiving the top prizes much more manageable and enjoyable. Mark Gardiner has found his life is getting better now too. He has fallen back in love with and is about to remarry his first wife.
To find out more about the lotteries and how to make the most of them, visit UK lottery draw.
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