Jane Park, Britain’s youngest EuroMillions winner, has shared why she regrets winning $1.25 million at just 17.
Speaking on Dr. Phil, she opened up about how the win did not bring her happiness and instead led to numerous challenges.
The downsides of winning the lottery
In 2013, Jane, from Edinburgh, won £1 million in the EuroMillions lottery. On Dr. Phil, she discussed the negative impact her win had on her life.
The sudden fame brought unwanted attention, including stalkers, death threats, and intense media scrutiny. Jane admitted, “I wish I’d never won it, I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.”
Jane was only 17 and unprepared for the consequences.
Reflecting on her youth, Jane described herself as a “young, naïve 17-year-old.” She wasn’t prepared for the consequences of her new public life.
“These people seem to think they know more about my life and it’s hard,” she said, explaining how cruel online comments affected her at the time.
Jane splashed out on luxury items at a young age
Initially, Jane didn’t fully understand the value of a million pounds. She explained, “I splashed out a bit because I never knew the value of a million pounds, I’d never seen that kind of money.”
Jane spent her winnings on things she always wanted.
This included cosmetic surgeries, which led to serious complications.
She revealed, “I had a procedure done in a different country and when I flew back I ended up with sepsis.” She spent a month in the hospital recovering from a reaction to the anesthetic.
Jane faced public criticism
Although she didn’t regret spending the money, Jane admitted her only regret was going public with her win. “I don’t regret any of the money I’ve spent, my only regret would be going so public,” she explained.
In the years following her win, Jane became an advocate for raising the UK’s lottery age limit from 16 to 18.
She recalled calling Camelot to suggest this change, and now that the age limit has been raised, Jane said, “I feel like I made a massive impact on that.”
Jane discussed the “curse of the lottery” on the Dr. Phil show
She described her experience as a dark fairy tale that no one warns you about. She said, “It’s a very dark fairy tale that I think no one actually warns you about.”
After her win, Jane initially vowed to spend her money on a custom white Range Rover, a season ticket for Hibernian, and a holiday in Ibiza. However, she eventually returned to work in a chip shop, saying she preferred the “working routine” to a life of luxury.
Jane shared that her family played a key role in preventing her from blowing through her winnings. “My family said to me ‘You have spent a bit of it now, you need to think about investing it,'” she recalled.
Heeding their advice, she invested in property and saved some of her fortune.
Jane Park’s story serves as a cautionary tale about the unexpected challenges of sudden wealth.
While her EuroMillions win brought her financial freedom, it also led to negative consequences, including public scrutiny and health complications.
Today, Jane advocates for the age limit to be raised and encourages others to think carefully about the potential impacts of winning the lottery.