How a Lottery Win Made a Garbage Collector Rich… Then Poor
In 2002, 19-year-old Michael Carroll, a garbage collector from Swaffham, United Kingdom, bought his first-ever lottery ticket for just £1 (PHP 1,431.93). He never imagined that this small gamble would change his life forever. Against all odds, Michael hit the jackpot, winning £9,736,131 (PHP 774,786,798), one of the largest lottery prizes in the UK.
The winnings promised a lifetime of wealth, but reality was very different. Within eight years, Michael lost nearly all of it due to lavish spending, poor financial management, and personal struggles. He generously gave £1 million (PHP 79,576,730) each to his mother, sister, and an aunt, and another £1 million to support the Scottish football club Rangers. He also invested £3.9 million (PHP 310,389,066) in a bond, but it could not sustain his extravagant lifestyle.
Michael indulged in luxury, buying a mansion worth £325,000 (PHP 25,865,762), gold jewelry valued at £150,000 (PHP 11,938,947), and several high-end cars including a Range Rover, two BMW M3s, a BMW Z4, and three Mitsubishi Evos. His lifestyle spiraled further out of control as he developed cocaine and alcohol addictions, spending over £2,000 (PHP 159,182) daily, starting his day with expensive champagne and vodka. He also spent tens of thousands of pounds on extravagant sexual parties, further depleting his fortune.
Despite his wealth, Michael often felt fear and anxiety. He faced blackmail, home invasions, and even threats to his pets, forcing him to spend money to protect himself. Gradually, his fortune vanished. By 2010, he was broke and returned to work, first as a coal deliveryman and later as a garbage collector, earning £10 per hour (PHP 795.71).
Today, Michael lives in Belfast with his ex-wife Sandra Aitken and looks back on his story without regret. He considers the years he enjoyed his winnings as the best eight years of his life, valuing the experiences even if the fortune was temporary.