Lottery Winner Receives Approximately 3.18 Billion KRW
"House Completely Destroyed by Fire... Lost Everything"
Assets Depleted After Divorce
A woman named Lara Griffiths (54) living in West Yorkshire, England, revealed the story of how she lost her entire fortune after winning the lottery. British daily Mirror
A woman in the UK revealed her story of winning a huge lottery prize, squandering her fortune, and eventually getting divorced.
According to local media such as The Sun and Mirror on the 17th (local time), Lara Griffiths (54), who lives in West Yorkshire, England, won the lottery in 2005 and received ?1.8 million (about 3.18 billion KRW), but lost all her assets within eight years. Lara married Roger, whom she met in college, in 1997 and gave birth to their first daughter, Ruby. Both worked as a teacher and an IT employee respectively when they were lucky enough to win the UK’s first online lottery. Lara recalled, "Around 2:30 a.m., Roger showed me the computer screen displaying the ?1.8 million prize." At first, she suspected it might be a scam, but when the lottery operator Camelot confirmed the win, they publicly announced the news.
After winning, the couple quit their jobs and began the luxurious life they had dreamed of. They traveled abroad to places such as Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, Florida in the United States, and France, and purchased a beauty salon for investment purposes at ?150,000 (about 265 million KRW). They also spent ?450,000 (about 795 million KRW) converting a barn into a house, and bought 30 used cars along with several expensive bags.
However, happiness did not last long. In December 2010, five years after winning the lottery, a large fire of unknown cause broke out at Lara’s home. The fire lasted for three days, and the family lost everything without even a single piece of clothing left. As a result, they spent eight months moving between hotels and Lara’s mother’s house. Although there were no casualties, Lara’s second daughter, Kitty, developed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from the trauma of the fire.
The Lara family repaired the house in July 2011, but the couple’s relationship deteriorated, leading to another crisis. Eventually, they decided to divorce, and by the time the divorce was finalized in December 2013, their assets were depleted. Lara explained, "I had to sell everything I owned, including the house and the business." Additionally, she was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease and had to rely on financial support from her mother for a while. It is known that Lara currently lives with her mother and two daughters. She said, "I love my life now. Although I went through difficult times, winning the lottery did not ruin my life. I regret losing all the money, but I will rise again."
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