The biggest Euromillions jackpot in history was won a week or so ago – and the fortunate couple that scooped the £184 million have made the somewhat surprising decision to go public.
Joe and Jess Thwaite, from Gloucestershire, took down the largest lottery win in UK history, and gave a press conference in Cheltenham to share the news.
It was a decision that was met with surprise by some – given the size of the sum landed, anonymity could perhaps have been the way forward….at least for the next few months.
But the couple have been supported by the National Lottery and Camelot. A spokesperson said:
“Taking publicity can give the winner peace of mind and help to manage circulation of the fantastic news. People may find out via social media, and winners may not be able to enjoy the experience if they have to keep such a big secret from their friends and family.
“In all consideration, it is a lot of money to conceal. People can feel more relieved knowing the knowledge of their win has been shared in a managed, controlled manner, allowing the winner to access their funds more freely without fear of raising suspicion,”
The Thwaites now have a wealth greater than many celebrities and entrepreneurs, and they have promised to do plenty of good with their newly-minted riches. They’ve already been true to their word after leaving a ‘sizeable tip’ at a restaurant in which they enjoyed a celebratory steak-and-chips dinner.
It was claimed Joe and Jess Thwaite left a “sizeable tip” for lucky staff at Miller & Carter restaurant after becoming the UK’s biggest-ever National Lottery winners and securing the £184million prize ? https://t.co/P6doNyQNn1
— Evening Standard (@standardnews) May 20, 2022
The Thwaites have also found the time to splash out on some new bedroom furniture, but are yet to decide what else is in the pipeline.
Do You Have to Go Public If You Win the Lottery?
There are no hard and fast rules about going public with a lottery win or remaining anonymous – the choice is that of the winners.
Keeping things private clearly has many advantages, but it can put quite a burden on loved ones to keep the win a secret. There’s also the possibility of funny glances in the local neighbourhood if you swap your Ford Fiesta for a brand new Maserati.
Going public relives those pressures, although it does set winners up for other potential problems….including the age-old question ‘which family members and friends would you donate money too, and how much!?’
A spokesperson for Camelot revealed:
“The decision to share their news or remain anonymous is completely up to the winner, and depends on a number of factors including who they’ve told and what they plan to do with their win.”
For the ten biggest Euromillions wins, six of the lucky ticket-holders have decided to remain anonymous – including the winner of the £170 million jackpot back in 2019.
In America, the rules are almost universally different – only eleven states in the US actually allow lottery winners to not reveal their win publicly.