Lottery win turned sour: The cautionary tale of Lara and Roger Griffiths

Every one of us dreams of winning millions in the lottery, but few realize that a fortune gained this way does not always bring happiness. Roger and Lara Griffiths received such a tough life lesson. In 2005, the couple learned they had won an astonishing sum of 1.8 million British pounds, or over 3.2 million Canadian dollars, in the National Lottery. The joy was indescribable.

The couple became millionaires overnight and immediately began enjoying their newfound wealth. Roger and Lara travelled, bought luxury goods and accessories, and became interested in cosmetic medicine. According to Yahoo!, they spent nearly 890,000 Canadian dollars on a new house and acquired 30 cars and a dozen branded handbags.

Initially, it seemed like their lives had been changed forever. Lara quit her job as a teacher, fearing a change in perception by students and their parents. She ran a salon bought with part of the winnings but treated it more as a hobby and did not pay herself a salary for a long time. Unfortunately, the first problems soon began.

At the end of 2010, their house caught fire, which was an immense tragedy. The destruction of the property and insufficient insurance forced them to cover the rebuilding costs out of their own pockets. Shortly after this tragedy, Lara found evidence of her husband's infidelity, which worsened the situation. In 2013, after 14 years together, the couple decided to divorce. Roger's infidelity and the loss of their fortune, which was now just a memory, influenced the final decision. Currently, Roger works in the recruitment department of a company, and Lara is a full-time tattoo artist. Despite squandering the winnings, Lara does not see it as a life failure.

In an interview with Yahoo!, Lara says people still ask her what it’s like to win the lottery.

It’s not a tangible feeling. Imagine being told you suddenly have two million in the bank. We went on holiday to Dubai and it was lovely, in the first instance - she reacts.

At the same time, Lara admits she is tired of media narratives portraying her win as a life failure. She says she did not spend the money recklessly. Although she currently lives in a modest home with her two daughters and 86-year-old mother, she feels fulfilled.

People kept saying I was stupid, pumped full of plastic surgery and needed my kids taken away. But the fact is, I spent it wisely - and I had a great time. We didn’t fritter money away, though. We flew economy class, the cars were second-hand, and we got mortgages on all the houses - she explains, adding that in hindsight, she does not believe that the large sum of money negatively affected her life:

I fully hold my hands up and accept my mistakes. I’ve spent the last 10 years making sure my children have a nice life regardless of that, and the lottery did not ruin my life.