A 20-year-old Englishman won £7.5 million (USD$9.1 million) in the country’s National Lottery earlier in January. This week, he revealed his father made him go back to work the day after he found out about the win.
Winner James Clarkson said he was back at work as a trainee gas engineer the morning after realizing he was suddenly a multimillionaire.
The young man from Carlisle, Cumbria, has since splashed out on some expensive things since receiving his winnings. But he’s determined to finish his two-year trade qualification before deciding what to do.
Clarkson also revealed his girlfriend missed out the confirmation phone call from the lottery.
He woke up at 7 a.m for work and saw the notification, but she thought he was joking and went back to sleep. Clarkson left her to it and drove to his parents’ house. There, they called the lottery helpline when it opened and confirmed the win.
The Win
Clarkson’s luck started on New Year’s Eve, when he won £120 ($146) on some scratch-off lottery tickets.
He then decided to see if his luck would continue by putting a small share from his winnings into five lottery tickets for the January 5th draw. All of which were Lucky Pick tickets, meaning randomized numbers.
When he woke up the next day at 7.a.m for work after staying at his girlfriend’s house, the 20-year old opened his phone and saw a lottery notification of a win.
His automatically picked numbers — 16, 19, 22, 24, 27 and 35 — matched all six numbers in the previous night’s drawing.
He left and drove to his parents, where they nervously sat around waiting for the National Lottery offices to open at 9 a.m.
“It was like a dream. They eventually confirmed mine was the winning ticket. I think I just started laughing,” he said.
The Work Ethic
Clarkson took the day off when he found out about his win, and spent it visiting with his family to spread the good news. But the day after, he was back at work. And his first task was cleaning out the drains. But he stuck to it with good humor.
“I want to qualify as a heating engineer and then go from there. I need to have a purpose in life, plus Dad wouldn’t let me not work anyway,” he said, speaking to the UK’s BBC News.
“I know people might think I’m mad to still work. But I want to, and of course, there’ll be some nice holidays in-between.”
Luxury Holidays
Speaking of holidays, he already has one booked after claiming his big prize. The new multimillionaire is taking his girlfriend on a luxury getaway to the West African island of Cape Verde, as well as buying himself and her some high-end Gucci clothes.
Clarkson also has his eye on a brand new, high-end Audi car, although for now, he still drives his trusty work vehicle.
First things first, though. He’s already working with a financial advisor to pay off the mortgage on his parents’ house.
“We are close and they have always been there for me. This win isn’t just for me, I want to make sure we all benefit,” he said.
Clarkson is not the only recent British lottery winner to not quit the day job after a big win. In mid 2024, two married police officers in Cambridgeshire, England, hit a £1 million ($1.217 million) EuroMillions jackpot. But they decided to go part-time at their jobs instead of quitting in order to set a good example for their young children.
David is an online casino expert who specializes in online slots and boasts over 10 years experience writing about iGaming. He has written for a wide range of notable publications, including eSports Insider and WordPlay Magazine.
David graduated Derby University with a BA Degree in English Literature and Creative Writing.
