The largest prize in lotto history took place in recent days with the lucky winner scooping £209million in the EuroMillions.
An Austrian participant was the victor and the monstrous sum of money topped the last record prize of £195m back in 2022.
With this in mind, we look back at the extraordinary tale of one young woman in Spain who won a record amount on the EuroMillions, before later paying a “big price” because of it.
The Spanish woman, from Mallorca, was just 25 years old when she was awarded the largest lottery prize the country had ever seen at the time – a cool £105m.
At the time, in 2009, she was four months pregnant and had recently broken up with her boyfriend.
She bought a ticket online using numbers often used by her grandad but on the day of the draw, she had forgotten all about it. Rather than waiting for the numbers to be revealed, she was actually in bed struggling with the flu.
The overnight multi-millionaire was eventually tracked down by a worker from the website she bought the ticket from who said she was “scared” and “very excited”.
Deciding to remain anonymous, she made a statement days after the draw, telling the press: “My grandfather played for 30 years, and he never won anything, I’m sure he had something to do with it.”
She added that she had still not told her mum and brother. Four years later, she gave an interview to El Mundo where she was asked how life had changed after becoming super rich.
“I try to remain myself,” she said. “At first, I didn’t tell anyone around me what had really happened. I was afraid it would change everything if they knew. Gradually I realised that I had to leave and start a new life in a place where people didn’t know me. That’s where I managed to live peacefully and where I try not to change as a person.”
However, despite going on to live a peaceful existence, she said leaving her home in Mallorca behind was the greatest sacrifice she had to make, something that did not come easy.
She revealed: “The biggest price I had to pay for having such a large fortune is that I had to leave my beloved island to protect my son. I want him to learn to live a normal life.
“Like all mothers, I want to give him the best education. But I don’t want to spoil him too much. He is now four-years-old and is growing up like any other child. I don’t want him to know that he was born rich.”
Before leaving Mallorca, she actually stayed in her old job for two years after winning the EuroMillions, all so she could live as normal a life as possible.
Rather than attract suspicion, she also gave birth to her son in a public hospital, and stayed humble by continuing to drive her old car and wearing modest clothes including outfits from Zara.
And even in the years that followed, she has reportedly still “barely spent” her fortune. Asked why, she replied: “It’s the price to pay for my son to grow up without fear.”
She said the most expensive trip she ever made was one to America where she joked that there were so many rich people in the country – and she was one of them.
And as for whether money really does buy happiness, she offered the following insight: “When you have so much that you can buy a football team or an airline, the concept of money is relative.
“It doesn’t make you any happier. Although I have to admit that financial security can also give you freedom. I continue to value the effort it means for others to earn a living.”
Despite the sacrifices, she said the biggest advantage of her fortune is being able to be alone with her son in a place where she feels safe. She described taking him on trips to countries far away where they enjoy ice cream.
And as for ever returning to her beloved island, she said: “I don’t think I’ll go back to Mallorca.”
In the years that followed her big win, she has been described as having “done very well in some investments” and swapped her small flat for a comfortable house in the countryside.
And Sascha Badelt, former director of Serviapuestas, the commercial site where the woman won the EuroMillions, explained how the winner was able to become even richer after her win.
He revealed how she bought properties at “bargain prices” that have beautiful exteriors but are in ruins before renovating them in the expectation that they will be worth double in the future.
According to reports, she has rejected VIP invitations to sporting events like the Formula One, and instead enjoys her utility car and a horse she bought for less than £10,000.
She considered buying a stud farm but feared it would attract attention – so instead filled her estate with dogs, carts and birds.
And as for evaluating her life compared to other wealthy folk, she said: “The truth is that I don’t compare myself to anyone. I have enormous respect for people who have earned a fortune. I know that I haven’t worked hard for it. That’s why I never stop working.”
At Reach and across our entities we and our partners use information collected through cookies and other identifiers from your device to improve experience on our site, analyse how it is used and to show personalised advertising. You can opt out of the sale or sharing of your data, at any time clicking the “Do Not Sell or Share my Data” button at the bottom of the webpage. Please note that your preferences are browser specific. Use of our website and any of our services represents your acceptance of the use of cookies and consent to the practices described in our Privacy Notice and Cookie Notice.