I won the lottery (a few years ago) AMA

[NCuserer]

NC for this as I remained anonymous, which was fairly pointless as I did tell some family and friends and it spread from there.

Did you give money away to friends/ family/ charity?

Wow indeed!

@MorrisZapp

How did it affect your relationship, if you're in one?

I was not in one but it has affected many of my other relationships with friends and family members

Wow OP! Amazing!

If you played online, did you get the usual email alert that says so mysteriously “you have won a prize” (and always makes my heart jump for a split second before I realise it will be £2.40 again!) or did they contact you by other means for a big win?

This thread excites me and gives me hope!

@Cattenberg

Now that the excitement has worn off, do you think you’re happier now than you were before your win?

I'm as happy as I used to be. We never struggled, but we were never comfortable, just getting by

Did you have a ‘when I win the lottery...’ fantasy mapped out and how did the reality live up to it?

That's an amazing amount of money ! Personally I'd struggle to cope with THAT much - 1 million would be just right - but good for you.

Were your friends and family just thrilled for you or did they queue up asking for handouts?

Did you give any of the money away? (Not sure I would, so not judging!)

@PotteringAlong

How much did you win and how much do you have left?

Just under 14 million.

I have the majority of it still left. I was a bit reckless when I initially won, spending on a lot of designer things, household items etc but I'm back to my baseline of spending

Most people seem to have a ‘plan’ for what they’d do if they won the lottery. Did you, and if you did, did you actually do it or is it completely different to how you’d imagined it?

Congratulations btw, I’m not jealous at all 😂

Do you work with a financial advisers to help you manage the money?

@MossRock

Wow OP! Amazing!

If you played online, did you get the usual email alert that says so mysteriously “you have won a prize” (and always makes my heart jump for a split second before I realise it will be £2.40 again!) or did they contact you by other means for a big win?

Good question, I’ve wondered about this. Can you imagine thinking you’ve got £2.50 and it’s millions.

How did it affect your relationships with friends & family? I often wonder if it would open a can of worms with certain people having expectations?

Did you move house?

@Pootles34

What was the fallout from your family & friends telling your secret - do you know who blabbed?

It was me who blabbed. I completely understand why people choose to go public, it's so hard to contain yourself. I told my son who was excellent and to this day has never told anyone, he just minds his business. I ended up telling my sister, who tend went and told her husband who then went and told our extended family.

Roughly what was your financial situation before the win?

Have you been able to instil a good work ethic in your children? Have you found it difficult to do so? Or indeed do you reject the idea a "work ethic" is a good thing?

(I grew up with a mother who was unable to work due to disability, and I think it might be part of why I'm not highly motivated to work more and earn more.)

@mumumum3

Do you work with a financial advisers to help you manage the money?

I once worked for a Private Bank that had lottery winners as clients and they did give a lot of advice about the best ways to manage donations, trusts and investments.

Is it enough that you can mostly live off the interest/returns from investment?

Do you have a financial advisor, or do you work it all out yourself?

Do you do anything charitable with it, and how do you decide where it goes if so?

How are you planning on helping your son as he gets older, or are you going to encourage him to stand on his own two feet?

So many questions!!! Could ask them all day!

P.S. Congratulations by the way! And thanks for letting us be nosy!

@Cheeseandlobster

Did you lose any friends over it? I knew a lottery winner who lost a lot of friends and she told me she wished she hadn't won. She told everyone before she had a chance to think it through I think

I've lost contact with some friends but mostly family members. I do not for one second regret winning, I just wish my family members weren't so greedy and entitled. I would have happily helped many of them with their mortgages and getting them on the property ladder but the way some of them thought I owed them a living was crazy

Do you feel happier?

Do people treat you differently - not just family and friends, but strangers (shop assistants, people in bars, airports etc) - does your obvious wealth mean people react differently?

Are you fitter, thinner and healthier?

@dappledsunshine

How did you find out you had won? What was the first thing you bought?

I think I checked my ticket a few days after winning, it was during work because I heard the numbers on the radio and they sounded like the ones on my ld. I then checked online and nearly fell out of my chair Had to compose myself as still had a full day of work left. Didn't even call the lotto office until I got home after work

Did you help some friends and family and how, or was it just too fraught with interpersonal politics to risk doing it?