They often say that "youth is wasted on the young." Never has truer words been spoken when describing just how wasteful young lottery winners can be. To be fair, they can't be expected to have the financial acumen of Alan Sugar, but it doesn't hurt less knowing what we could have done with that money.
In recent times, one such young lottery winner which comes to mind is that of 16-year-old Callie Rogers. She became the United Kingdom's youngest ever lottery winner when in 2003, she won £1,9 million. Predictably, Callie made one poor decision after another. She lost most of her millions on shopping sprees, vacations, properties which she has since had to sell, and even plastic surgery.
"My life is in shambles and hopefully now it has all gone I can find some happiness. It’s brought me nothing but unhappiness. It’s ruined my life."
“I can’t believe ten years have passed since I stood holding that huge cheque. It feels like a lifetime ago. I was too young to win the lottery – I don’t think 16-year-olds should be eligible.”
Meet some of the youngest lottery winners in history. Some of them have lost, others have kept their heads above water. However, to their credit, young successful lottery winners aren't as rare as you may think.
Michael Carrol - 19
€9 million
Michael Carrol from Norfolk is now famous, not only for being one of the youngest National Lottery jackpot winners, but also for the now infamous quote, "The dealer who introduced me to crack has more of my lotto money than I do."
When Carrol won €9 million in 2002, many would be forgiven for thinking that the money would certainly bring success. However, he soon fell into a downward spiral of debauchery. Developing a penchant for cocaine, prostitutes, and fast cars, it wasn't long before Michael lost most of his winnings almost as quickly as it had come to him.
Sandeep Singh - 22
€27 million
Sandeep is one of the exceptions to the lottery clichés. At just 22 years of age, the young man from Massachusetts managed to remain grounded after winning €2,7 million in the Mega Millions jackpot. Sandeep has heaped praise on his sister for selecting the numbers for him, stating that he wouldn't have time to play the lotto due to his shifts. The young man has dedicated himself to helping his mother to settle her debts as well as donating some of his cash to local charities.
Kelsey Zachow - 24
€60 million
Although not the youngest, Kelsey's win certain stands head and shoulders as the richest young lottery winner in Mega Millions history. As is the case with so many lottery winners, she had no conceivable idea that she held the winning ticket until more than a week into the draw. According to lottery officials, she had a multitude of unchecked lottery tickets in her purse. Kelsey chose to take the lump-sum option bringing her winning total to €24,6 million.
“When the clerk at the store told me I had a big winner I was positive that he was mistaken. There was a long line in the store behind me, so I decided to leave and looked the numbers up. When I got into my car. That’s when I realized I had won the jackpot and could barely breathe.”