Karen Child worked at Tesco before her win, while Margaret Loughrey struggled to cope with the scale of her fortune
Samantha Masters Content Editor and Carrington Walker Live News Journalist
10:35, 16 Apr 2026Updated 10:36, 16 Apr 2026
Irishwoman Margaret Loughrey struggled with the sudden change to her humble life after winning big in the lottery(Image: BBC)
For many, winning big on the lotto sounds like a golden ticket that would immediately solve all their problems, but the massive fortunes often come with a darker side, and winners have spoken out about the pressures they have placed on their lives.
Margaret Loughrey, dubbed “Maggie Millions,” claimed an extraordinary windfall in 2013, winning £27 million (the equivalent of €31 million) through the UK National Lottery EuroMillions in 2013. Ms Loughrey passed away eight years after the big win, and following her passing, her brother spoke about how she struggled to cope with the scale and pressures of her fortune.
Ms Loughrey, from the small village of Strabane in Northern Ireland, said that the win had ‘destroyed her life’ after scooping the top prize on a Lucky Dip ticket at the age of 48. The National Lottery has always advised winners to “stay calm, get independent legal and financial advice and contact us as soon as they can”.
Similarly, Karen Child, another UK National Lottery winner from Chesterfield, was employed at Tesco before winning 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 £8 million with her lucky ticket. “I couldn’t stop shaking. I expected someone to say there had been a mistake,” she told 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.