Fate's cruel twist: Lottery win splits couple, leaves man broke

We have all heard the popular saying that money does not bring happiness. Kirk Stevens from Nottingham experienced this firsthand. He and his now ex-partner Laura won a well-known lottery worth 4.3 million euros. This amount was to be paid monthly instalments of 11,900 euros over 30 years.

Unfortunately, winning the lottery did not only positively affect their relationship. According to media reports, in 2018, Laura Hoyle, who had previously lost her job, moved in with Kirk. Stevens allowed her to live with him without paying rent, wanting to support his beloved in a problematic situation.

Thanks to financial stability, Laura began regularly buying lottery tickets, believing that their situation would improve someday. Eventually, her dream came true—despite initial failures, one of the tickets turned out to be a winner. It was the "Set for Life" lottery, where the prize guarantees regular payments over a longer period—in their case, over 30 years.

In 2021, a special video featuring the couple was posted on The National Lottery's YouTube channel, in which they boasted about their life success. There was plenty of joy, champagne, and joint photos with a giant cheque. At that time, for 39-year-old Kirk, life seemed perfect. They planned to start their own company and travel to Disneyland with his beloved.

Unfortunately, their happiness didn't last long. Kirk's world crumbled when one day Laura decided to leave him. She took not only her belongings but also the main prize and moved into the house they were building together. Today, Laura leads a peaceful life, but Kirk is no longer a part of it.

She pulled the plug and took everything. She even wants our two dogs - Kirk lamented in an interview with "The Sun".

Unfortunately for Kirk, his ex-partner no longer felt obligated to share her winnings with him. Although both their names were on the cheque, it was Laura who bought the ticket, so the money belonged to her. Kirk lamented the fact that they did not sign any formal agreement after winning, which would have guaranteed him a portion of the money.

When he realised that life can be unpredictable, it was already too late. In an interview with the media, he admitted that he has no rights to the winnings and cannot do anything about it. The big win ultimately resulted in the definitive end of their relationship.