When it comes to big lottery wins, it’s hard to top Colin and Chris Weir’s windfall in July 2011. The couple from Largs in Ayrshire, Scotland, landed a colossal £161.6 million to become the winners of the largest sterling sum in EuroMillions history, and they weren’t slow when it came to splashing the cash. The pair quickly invested in a new home worth an impressive £850,000, before showing their generous side by donating £1 million to the Scottish National Party, the party for whom Mr Weir stood for election in 1987, and investing heavily in youth facilities at Partick Thistle, a football club very close to the Weirs’ hearts. They also surprised a group of their closest friends by buying each of them an £88,000 Mercedes.
The generosity amongst EuroMillions winners continued later that year as Dave and Angela Dawes won big in October 2011. The Cambridgeshire couple walked away with £101 million and vowed to spend their money on making their friends and family millionaires. Content with making others happy, the Dawes, who were due to be married later in the year, opted to tie the knot in a low-key ceremony in Gretna Green. However, they did manage to toast the joyous occasion with a bottle of Louis Roederer Champagne, priced at £250, before spending their wedding night in a five-star bridal suite costing £230 per night.
For some EuroMillions winners, a vast jackpot win can result in them living out their wildest dreams. That is exactly how football fanatic Les Scadding chose to spend a portion of his winnings. The die-hard Bristol City fan opted to cross the border and invest over £1.25 million of his £45 million fortune in lowly Newport County, a side on the rise through the non-league pyramid. Thanks to Scadding’s injection of cash, the Exiles raced to promotion and soon established themselves in League Two. The sexagenarian, who also owns property in Barbados, stepped down as chairman at Rodney Parade in August 2015, but will be forever remembered as the man who delivered a great amount of success to South Wales.
Sharon Mather was another winner who opted to pursue her passion in life after capturing a £12.4 million EuroMillions prize in June 2010. A passionate lover of all things equine, Sharon, along with her husband Nigel, toured a stable jointly owned by former England footballer Michael Owen and soon forked out some of their vast fortune on a race horse: 'We fell in love with Deauville Prince and paid £15,000 for a quarter share in our race horse, Sharon told reporters shortly after her win. 'Since then he’s been a storming triumph, winning four important races.”
Of course, you may have entirely different plans in mind for if you win tonight’s nine-figure EuroMillions Superdraw jackpot. So, if you want to be in with a chance of turning your dreams into reality, you can pick your numbers online or play through any authorised retailer in participating countries. Best of luck!