Lorry Driver Wins £5.2 Million Lotto Jackpot, Quits Job and Buys Vacuum Cleaner
A 60-year-old lorry driver from Barking has won the £5.2 million Lotto jackpot and has marked the occasion by quitting his job and purchasing a new vacuum cleaner. Gary MacDonald, who has been delivering parcels to Lakeside Shopping Centre in Thurrock, Essex, for over 30 years, learned of his win last Thursday.
According to LBC, Mr MacDonald opted for a Shark vacuum cleaner as his first purchase, saying “We still shopped around for the best deal on the vacuum cleaner. We are not flash people; we are very down to earth and know the value of things.” As reported by LBC, the lorry driver rang his boss to resign after learning of his win, stating “There was absolutely no point in doing another day’s work, not today, not any day.”
Mr MacDonald, who has been with his partner Anita, 55, for 25 years, plans to marry her in a civil ceremony later in the summer. The couple has started house-hunting for a new home with a large garden, away from the city. As LBC reported, Mr MacDonald got up at 5:20am to start his working day and spotted an email from The National Lottery stating “Good news about your ticket.” He initially thought he had won £35, but then realised there was an additional prize of over £5.2 million.
“It is difficult to make sense of it,” said Mr MacDonald, as quoted by LBC. “It said I had won £5,208,504 and to ‘please call The National Lottery straight away’.” Anita thought it was a smaller win, but Mr MacDonald knew it was more. “I tried calling but of course the line was closed at 5:30 in the morning!” he said. “I’ve always been a laid-back person but that was the longest two and a half hours of my life waiting until the phone lines open at 8:00am.”
As reported by LBC, Mr MacDonald had been thinking about slowing down for the last five or six years, saying “I have always worked and enjoyed what I do, but it is physically hard work.” Once his win was confirmed, he shared the news with family members, including his daughter, who thought he was teasing. “It’s been a crazy few days, I can’t believe everyone’s reaction,” he said. “I don’t think I have ever been sworn at so much – the air has definitely been blue in Essex.”
Mr MacDonald, who is a keen Formula One fan, plans to watch a race in person. “We have worked hard all our lives and never really had time for hobbies or pastimes,” he said. “Any spare time has been spent supporting others, we were brought up to put others first. It will be amazing to have the time and money to now treat ourselves a little and maybe try something new. Just this morning I thought maybe I might try lawn bowls!” According to LBC, Mr MacDonald has played Lotto each week since the game started and now plays online. His winning numbers in the draw on April 6 were: 27, 36, 39, 48, 57 and 59.
The news of Mr MacDonald’s win has sparked interest in the lives of lottery winners. As reported by LBC, a recent story about a £148 million EuroMillions lottery winner who left his mansion to move in with his mum has raised questions about the challenges of managing large sums of money. Another story about thieves winning half a million on a lottery ticket bought with a stolen credit card has highlighted the darker side of the lottery.
For more information on this story and others, visit LBC for the latest news and updates.
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