Former £10 Million Lotto Winner Now Working for £6 An Hour

Posted on: July 10, 2013, 05:30h.

Last updated on: July 10, 2013, 12:45h.

As Britain’s most notorious jackpot lottery winner, Michael Carroll earned the title “King of Chavs”, which is basically the British equivalent of being king of the rednecks, after pocketing just shy of £10 million (almost $15 million) on the UK’s National Lottery.

Bad Fortune

Carroll famously won the fortune in 2002 at the age of just 19, and blew the majority of his money on drugs, alcohol and hookers, to the point that he became virtually penniless and lived off benefits.

And after squandering away his fortune, Carroll wound up sleeping rough in a British forest as he hunted for work to pay his bills, and now finds himself working as a shortbread packer in a biscuit factory in Scotland for £6 per hour (less than $9 an hour).

He now claims that he’s turned over a new leaf after fleeing north to Scotland upon being warned by friends that his current lifestyle would be his death knell.

“I’ve only got one chance left – I’d have been dead in six months if I’d carried on that lifestyle of drinking and drug taking. I get £204 every week for packing and stacking shortbread and cookies and I love it,” exclaimed Carroll in the Daily Mail UK tabloid newspaper, stating that he has no regrets over the past ten years, despite ending up in jail on three occasions and wittering away his fortune.

Getting in Shape

But it’s not all squandered for the self-styled King of Chavs, as he’s shed a lot of weight since agreeing to take part in a fitness documentary and also hopes to be featured in a popular television show “I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!’ in order to create a little extra cash flow.

Carroll admits he still plays the lottery, but claims that he would be more responsible if his numbers came up a second time, stating that he would help children with drug-related problems and invest in property given the chance.

Carroll now says that his new lifestyle suits him perfectly, especially as he is in better shape than he ever was as a millionaire, and enjoys yoga, swimming and eating healthily, as well as living closer to his ten-year-old daughter.

“I don’t even want a girlfriend at the moment because I’ve had my fair share of women – although I did pay for most of them,” admitted Carroll in the newspaper interview, while explaining how he is piecing together his life.

This could well be a lesson worthy of note for all those chasing a big jackpot win: money really isn’t the key to happiness…it’s just the key to not living in the woods.