A father-of-two who won millions in the United Kingdom National Lottery became so bored after giving up his job that he turned to booze and eventually drank himself to death.
Keith and Louise Gough won £9 million in 2005, and like many others Gough saw the win as the "answer to his dreams".
But the couple, who were married for 27 years, separated just two years later after Gough gave up his job and began drinking out of boredom.
Devastating
Speaking last year Gough lamented the devastating effect of the win on his life.
"Without routine in my life I started to spend, spend, spend. In the end I was just bored," Gough said.
"Before the win all I would drink was some wine with a meal. I used to be popular but I've driven away all my friends. I don't trust anyone any more."
"When I see someone going in to a newsagent, I advise them not to buy a lottery ticket."
Fatal
The 58-year-old suffered a fatal heart attack in March this year, brought on by drinking and stress.
At the time it was believed that Gough had died penniless, but last week it emerged that he had left an estate worth almost £800,000.
At the time of his death a friend said, "They were an ordinary couple with a decent but simple lifestyle.
"The money ruined that and killed Keith. It went to his head and he couldn't handle it. The whole thing is a tragedy."
Misery
Since the start of the National Lottery a number of jackpot winners have admitted misery because of their windfall.
Earlier this year one of Britain's youngest lottery millionaires was found dead in his home.
Stuart Donnelly, who was 17 when he won £2 million in 1997, had become a virtual recluse as he struggled to cope with his new found wealth – and the sudden death of his father in 2000.
Donnelly spent his winnings on various things including houses, one of which was for his mother, charitable donations to a hospital his brother was being treated at and an executive seat at Celtic Football Club.
But he reportedly struggled to deal with the pressure of winning the lottery, particularly at such a young age.
Other lottery winners turned losers:
- Michael Carroll, a former garbage man, won £9.7 million in 2002 but claimed it had made him miserable. After he won the jackpot, his wife Sandra left him and took their baby daughter with her. Carroll turned to cocaine, was jailed and was later served with two anti-social behaviour orders.
- In 1999 Stephanie Powell won £7.2 million, but her family life began to break down as a result. Her partner Wayne Lawrence walked out on her, claiming the stress of her riches as his reason.
- In 1999 Phil Kitchen, a jobless carpenter, won £1.8 million but two years later was found dead in his £500,000 home after drinking himself to death.
What we have here are 5 people in the UK who couldn't handle their newfound riches, 5 out of hundreds. That's a very good percentage. If these people were having problems, they should have sought professional help. Unlike EVERYONE else, ALL of these people were able to afford the BEST in professional help. Why they didn't is their problem. The writer of this story is, however poorly, trying to somehow convey that winning the lottery is a negative experience. Hardly. I'd trade places with them anytime if they wish.
If they were unable to deal with their surroundings, they could easily have afforded to move to a resort island or do anything else they wished. They, IMHO, simply chose self-destructive behavior.
hearsetrax said: "curiouser and curiouser ...... is how many went public and how many did/n't realize they could've claimed it without any real public knowledge and or felt pressured to go public by the lotto commission ??"
We don't know if you are allowed to claim lottery prizes anonymously in the UK. You may or may not be allowed.
Many UK lottery winners opt to remain anonymous. It's allowed.
All these complainers that say winning the lottery is a curse blows my mind.
I would take my chances. I will be able to occupy myself just fine.
"Idle mind Devil's workshop."
This was quoted to me soooooooo much during my up-bringing.
With the money these people had, there were many things they could've chose to do.
If they were unhappy with having all of that money they could've given it all away and went out and got a job.
Or they could've opened up a business of their own.
They could've went back to school to learn how to manage large volumes of money and started a new career.
School alone would've taken up a lot of time.
They could've travelled the world first class.
Etc..... Etc.... Etc....
I'm creating a special relief program to help jackpot winners (and other rich people) with too much money on their hands.
All deposits are cheerfully accepted and may be made until such point as the aforementioned rich person can sleep comfortably at night.
Winning the lotto should not be the ultimate goal for people. If I win the lotto I will not want crazy fansy things becuse it will
leave you feeling good for a short time then it will leave you empty. I would have to write down all what I want to accomplish and even after I've
aquire that success I will start a new list. You can only buy and buy things until your so sick of buying.
You can only get "bored" if you only think about yourself. There are many, many, many causes to fight for with that kind of money. Help the homeless, the sick, the aged, etc. It's only when you look at life in a box do you get bored. Sad situation all the same.
I think you should give it all to the government to spread the wealth around.
It's not fair that you have all that money when there are people who didn't buy a ticket who don't have millions too.
You should share it all equally with them.
It's only fair.
Right?
if he got SO BORED, he could had work out, start a work out gym club and start working out....for crying out loud, have sex every minute, do something...
in the, U.K the kids are, SO DARN FAT, because of the cold, start a workout gym for mothers, BOREDOM, is that a joke...that could, NEVER happen...Rich and bored....maybe because you are too, selective/picky/proud like most people...start a teen, tea club, or spinach/cucumber, ect club where people go and eat cucumbers or talk about, how much they love to eat cuccumbers...
boredome, is that a joke...
when you hear cases like that that dont make sense, like boredome after been rich, is because the persons are, gay, lesbians, love to have sex with kids or babies or: maybe because they are too, selective/picky/proud/prejudice like most people...
when you talk to those people they can not have a BMW color green it has to be purple...A BMW dude...i´ve seen people like that and is creepy....
i´ve talk to people who you can not tell by the outside but inside, you can tell they got a chronic condition where everything, HAS to be the way they want it....same color, same height, same material, right switch, ect...
it is a mental condition, you cant see it....Sometimes if you look at, phrenology of the face you can see it...i dont know if is the mirror or what...
CAL-LottoPlayer,
Can we assume you've won a jackpot? No one is immune from the temptations and tribulations of lottery winners. Even modest amounts will subject winners to the vagaries of aiding in family financial difficulties, loss of friendships and constant requests for money from stangers, much less the tendency to indulge in drinking, gambling and spending binges. I take my hat off to those who keep a level head when they come into money. However, there's always a few who demonstrate their inability to control their demons when fortune smiles upon them.