Lottery windfall to heartbreak: Millionaire couple's journey downward

Each of us dreams of winning millions in the lottery, but few realise that a fortune gained this way doesn't always bring happiness. Roger and Lara Griffiths learned this hard lesson in life. In 2005, the couple discovered they had won a staggering sum in the National Lottery: €2.1 million. The joy was indescribable.

From one day to the next, the couple became millionaires and began enjoying their newfound wealth. Roger and Lara travelled, bought luxury goods and accessories, and even became interested in cosmetic medicine. According to Yahoo!, they spent almost €590,000 on a new home and acquired 30 cars and a dozen branded handbags.

Initially, it seemed that their lives had changed forever. Lara resigned from her job as a teacher, fearing changes in perception by students and their parents. She ran a salon purchased with part of the winnings but treated it more as a hobby and did not pay herself a salary for a long time. Unfortunately, problems soon began to appear.

At the end of 2010, a fire in their home was a huge 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 made the situation even worse. In 2013, after 14 years together, the couple decided to divorce. Roger's infidelity and the loss of the fortune, which was already a thing of the past, influenced their 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 consider it a life failure.

In an interview with Yahoo!, Lara says that people still ask her what it feels 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 responds.

At the same time, Lara admits that she is tired of media narratives portraying her win as a failure. She says she didn't spend the money as foolishly as people think. Although she lives in a more modest house 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 and adds that in hindsight, she doesn't think the large sum of money negatively impacted 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.