17 years after winning the lottery

Most people assume that almost all lottery winners spend their winnings mindlessly. But in reality there are not many such mindless winners. The fact is that such curious stories lend themselves to publicity, so there is a perception that all lottery winners who receive large winnings immediately lose their minds from the money. As a result, they lose their money. We would like to introduce you to a lucky man who managed to make a wise use of his millions.

A British man Ben Woods hit the jackpot in 2004 and made £2.5 million. In ruble terms, that’s 250 million. At the time, Ben was 23 years old. As soon as the guy found out he had won the lottery, he immediately quit his job. Prior to that, Ben had worked in a railway operator. After that, he decided he would travel all over the world.

“When I won, I was too young. It was a public performance,” Ben noted in his interview. “I felt I couldn’t work any further, much less wanted to. I was 23 at the time and all I wanted to do was travel.”

A year later, in 2005, Ben met his future wife. They got married and had three daughters. After that, the family began to live an ordinary life. Woods claims that his children enabled him to appreciate the real importance of his winnings.

“When I was a child, my parents worked all the time. My father was in the haulage business or working as a bus driver, he wasn’t home all day. He didn’t even see me growing up. Winning the lottery allowed me to do the most important thing – I was able to see my children grow up. I was there for them all the time.”

By the time Ben Woods decided to stop travelling and stay in one place, he had moved to a place where he was no longer welcome – his hometown.

“I drove a couple of miles down from my parents’ house and bought a plot of land with a house here. Most people I know say that if they were me, they wouldn’t want to stay in their hometown. But after all, my family and friends are all here. If I move somewhere else, it doesn’t mean that everyone close to me will follow.

More than 17 years have passed and Ben decided to share how he was able to keep his funds.

“At the time I was just a young guy. The amount I got was really big. However, it’s not that much money if you think you can enjoy your winnings for a long time. I decided to put some of my money into investments. The other part I spent on buying a house for myself and my sister.”

Woods also noted that the National Lottery itself had provided him with help in saving his money. With the help of representatives, he was able to get in touch with other lucky people who had managed to win the lottery. This is how he received support and valuable advice.

“Once you win, it becomes difficult to discuss all these things with people close to you. Which is not the case with talking to other winners. I felt in my community. Especially since some of them lived in my town. I was able to discuss all the fears, worries and anxieties with the winners. It turned out that most lottery millionaires face them. It was only because of this that I was able to manage the millions I received properly.”

The National Lottery often arranges for winners to meet each other and involve them in media activities. For example, lottery millionaires often take part in community service, beach clean-ups or charity events.