Karen Child was working at Tesco and living in a council house before her win. While Margaret Loughrey struggled to cope with the scale and pressures of her fortune, according to her brother
Samantha Masters, Samantha Masters Content Editor and Carrington Walker
08:59, 15 Apr 2026Updated 12:18, 15 Apr 2026
Margaret Loughrey struggled with the sudden change to her humble life after winning big in the lottery(Image: BBC)
A lottery winner has spoken candidly about the darker side of winning millions, echoing the tragic fate of a Strabane EuroMillions record‑holder who died eight years after her extraordinary windfall.
Margaret Loughrey, dubbed “Maggie Millions” after claiming a €31 million EuroMillions jackpot in 2013, struggled to cope with the scale and pressures of her fortune, her brother has revealed after her death.
Ms Loughrey, from Strabane in Northern Ireland, later said the win had “destroyed” her life after scooping the record-breaking prize at the age of 48 when her Lucky Dip ticket came in. The National Lottery recommends any winners “stay calm, get independent legal and financial advice and contact us as soon as they can”.
Similarly, Karen Child, from Chesterfield, was employed at Tesco before picking up the massive windfall in 2007. “That evening, I matched the first three numbers. I was thrilled, thinking I’d won £10,” she recalled. “Then another number came up and another. By the sixth, I was screaming and shouting.”
Karen Child’s marriage came to an end after her lottery win
Karen scooped more than £8million with her lucky ticket. “I couldn’t stop shaking. I expected someone to say there had been a mistake,” she said, according to Best Magazine.
Prior to the win, Karen lived in a council house with he two children and had remained single for 13 years, but this changed after the win and brought its own problems. “The hardest part of winning has been trust,” she admitted.
“I struggle to trust new people. Now, I wait before telling anyone about my win. If nothing changes, they’re a friend for life.”
In Margaret’s case, her brother Paul confirmed she was already fighting an ongoing mental health battle after the death of her father. “I was the first to be told. We were close right up until the money,” he told Dublin Live.
“But from that day I knew. I told the rest of the family this is not going to be good for Margaret.”
Paul watched as his sister reportedly grew further detached from family members, ultimately cutting contact and “didn’t want to know” them, though she did distribute £1 million to each sibling and close friends.
Margaret died eight years following her lottery success.