The Oldest Lottery Winners in the World

We all dream of a big lottery win but or some it comes at an advanced age. Let’s take a look at some of the oldest ever winners of lotteries around the world. How does winning huge amounts affect the way you spend your fantastic winnings?

£18m Lotto Jackpot at 87

Dennis Banfield from Bristol in England had been retired for 30 years before winning a £18 million Lotto jackpot in 2018. The win made the 87-year-old the UK’s oldest lottery win. When such a windfall comes along and you’re in your eighties, helping your family becomes even more important.

That was the case with this lottery winner. He split the money three ways between his two daughters and himself and his wife. Since his win Dennis has also helped others in his local area and last year at the age of 90, he made a 1.9m long Nativity crib for his local church.

From Poverty to Wealth

87 is a great age but Mr. Banfield is nowhere near the oldest lottery winner. That record belongs to Nguyen Van Het from Vietnam. He’d spent many a year in poverty and was living in a small shack when he won his prize at the age of 97 years old.

11 years ago, he won a £200,000 lottery prize which you might not think is a massive win. However, in Vietnam the average income is £500 a year, so it was a truly momentous win for him. “I’ve been poor all my life and now I’ve got all this money,” the lottery winner said. He’d used what he calls “lucky money” given to him by relatives to celebrate the lunar new year. That money was used to buy his winning lottery ticket.

Again, generosity was shown though, and he shared his win with his local community, including buying a big bag of rice to feed them. A local neighbour even called the police to ask him to stop giving away his winnings. He also bought himself and his wife a new home and a television.

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