Who are the 10 Biggest UK EuroMillions Lottery Winners?
Ever dreamt of quitting your job, buying a private island, and living like royalty? Well, for a select few Brits, that dream became reality thanks to the magical EuroMillions lottery! Forget the daily grind – these lucky souls struck gold, transforming a few quid into a life of unimaginable luxury.
While we previously explored the world’s wealthiest lottery winners, today, we journey across the English Channel to the land of crumpets and castles – the UK! Here, EuroMillions reigns supreme, a lottery so popular, its jackpots become the stuff of national legend. We’re talking life-changing sums, starting at a cool £14 million and ballooning to a staggering £200 million! Want to delve deeper into these jaw-dropping jackpots? You can find out more about the EuroMillions jackpots and other statistics in this article.
But enough talk of money, let’s meet the faces behind the fortunes! Buckle up, because we’re about to delve into the incredible stories of the UK’s biggest EuroMillions winners. Prepare to be amazed!
10. £115 million (Frances and Patrick Connolly) – 19 February 2019
Frances Connolly’s £115 million lottery win in 2019 transformed her life, but instead of indulging in extravagance, she became addicted to giving. With her husband, Patrick, they’ve donated over half their fortune to various causes, driven by Frances’s lifelong passion for helping others.
Since childhood, Frances has actively engaged in charitable work, volunteering with St John Ambulance and establishing an AIDS helpline as a student. Despite their wealth, the Connollys actively maintain a modest lifestyle, preferring to invest in community projects rather than luxuries.
Frances believes that wealth doesn’t change a person; it merely magnifies their existing traits. She encourages lottery winners to use their money to become the best versions of themselves, emphasizing the transformative power of generosity.
Frances Connolly’s story is a testament to the profound impact of altruism, demonstrating how one person’s determination to make a difference can change countless lives for the better.
9. £122 million (anonymous) – 2 April 2021
The jackpot was won in UK by one lucky winner who stayed anonymous for obvious reasons.
8. £123 million (anonymous) – 11 June 2019
Another life changing amount of money was won in UK and the winner remained anonymous again.
7. £148 million (Adrian and Gillian Bayford) – 10 August 2012
The couple won £148million on the EuroMillions in 2012, but split just 15 months afterwards.
Adrian, a former postal worker, went back to work after he got bored at his £6 million mansion, which he later sold. He set up his own music business shop featuring largest collection of Lady Gaga.
He went through a lot and after the divorce he shared his winnings with several girlfriends who eventually dumped him. His home was also raided in a £100,000 burglary.
As for Gillian, she married convicted fraudster Brian Deans. Her father accused her of promising him £20 million but receiving only £1 million. Her life was shredded with lies and described as “total mess”!
As that was not that bad, the couple’s son Cameron (13) fell into a comma after a quad bike accident where he was hit by a car driven by his older sister Aimee (15). Cameron was fighting for his life but is now on the road to recovery.
6. £161.6 million (Christine and Colin Weir) – 12 July 2011
Christine and Colin Weir became two of Scotland’s wealthiest individuals overnight after winning the EuroMillions lottery on July 12, 2011. They’ve bought numerous mansions to replace their three-bedroom home in Largs since winning.
Knock House was the first, with an estimated cost of £850,000 – not including substantial restorations and enhancements, such as a new wine cellar. They purchased Frognal House, a £3.5 million estate with greenhouses and fountains, in 2013. A £1.5 million waterfront house was also added to Colin Weir’s list.
They’ve put millions of dollars into Glasgow’s Partick Thistle football team. Colin Weir was even a director for Three Black Cats, the company that was building the football club’s new training facility.
Christine and Colin Weir have also formed the Weir Charitable Trust. They have donated millions of dollars to Scottish community groups and small charities by the charitable organization.
Christine and Colin Weir have also been involved in national politics. They’re one of the most generous supporters of the Scottish National Party (SNP).
Colin sadly passed away in 2019, but they used their winnings to help family, friends, charities, and buy dream items like cars and property.
5. £170 million (anonymous) – 8 October 2019
The 6th record-breaking prize was won by UK ticket-holder on 8th October 2019, with the numbers 7, 10, 15, 44, 49, and Lucky Star combinations 3 and 12. This lucky ticket holder has won the UK’s most fabulous lottery jackpot of £170 million, equivalent to €190 million. This person has preferred to stay anonymous up to date. At the time of the win, they were the biggest ever UK lottery winners!
4. £182 million (anonymous) – 26 February 2021
This anonymous winner technically holds the Euro record in Euros, though the exchange rate put it slightly below Joe and Jess’ win.
3. £184 million (Joe and Jess Thwaite) – 10 May 2022
The UK’s 3rd biggest ever EuroMillions lottery winners were a couple from Gloucester who scooped record breaking prize of £184 million with a lucky dip ticket.
The incredible jackpot was won on 10th May 2022 and the winning numbers were 3, 25, 27, 28, 29, and Lucky Star combinations 4 and 9.
Even after realising that they won such a life changing amount of money, they still carried on with their daily routine as normal and went back to work.
Joe, a communications sales engineer, bought the winning Lucky Dip ticket just hours before the draw after he saw the massive jackpot. He said he never had any luck of winning in the past.
When he found out about the news early in the morning after checking his emails, he didn’t even wake his wife up. He just waited for her to wake up to break the amazing news!
Jess said that her father was a regular lottery player but he had not luck his whole life until he died. They often talked about what would they do with all the money if they won. So it wasn’t so hard for her to figure out what to do with such a huge amount of money!
The couple said the win would give them “time to share lots of experiences and go on adventures with our family and friends”.
2. £185 million (anonymous) – 15 October 2021
The second biggest EuroMillions winner scooped enormous £185 million on 15 October 2021.
1. £195 million (anonymous) – 19 July 2022
The biggest ever UK’s EuroMillions Jackpot was won on 19 July 2022. Unfortunately the winner remain anonymous so we’ll never know who’s the lucky person.
Unlike the US, where lottery winners are thrust into the spotlight, the UK offers a healthy dose of anonymity. Here, you can win big and keep it whisper quiet, turning lottery millions into a secret stash for your wildest dreams (without the unwanted audience).
This explains why most EuroMillions winners in the UK choose to vanish like lottery-winning ninjas. Makes perfect sense, right? Who needs a parade of “friends” with sob stories when you can be sipping margaritas on a private island, all thanks to a lucky ticket and a healthy dose of privacy?
The biggest EuroMillions Jackpot Record outside United Kingdom at €220 Million
While the biggest UK EuroMillions winners scooped the biggest jackpots, there is one notable winner outside of UK which was a young woman from the Pacific island of Tahiti! Talk about a life-changing beach vacation, right? This lucky woman scooped a prize of €220 million on 15th October 2021 which was the biggest jackpot at that time.
This record win triggered a jackpot cap bump to a juicy €230 million. But here’s the twist: the cap isn’t permanent! It’s like a ticking time bomb. If no winner emerges after five draws, the jackpot explodes, showering the lucky victor with a windfall that increases by €10 million for the next round. Imagine the frenzy if it ever reaches the €250 million limit!
A Swiss player snagged a cool €210 million in February 2021, following closely on the heels of a southern France resident who walked away with a sweet €200 million just three months earlier. These back-to-back wins prove that EuroMillions may not have the infinite growth potential of US lotteries, but it still dishes out life-altering sums with surprising frequency.
