Jane Park won £1m on EuroMillions at 17. Her only regret is going public

Jane Park was 17 and working as an office administrator in Edinburgh, earning about £8 an hour, when she bought her first ever lottery ticket in 2013.

It won £1 million on EuroMillions. She became the youngest EuroMillions winner in the UK at the time.

What she spent it on

• A holiday to Magaluf with friends.
• Two properties, including a three-bedroom house in East Lothian.
• Designer handbags, a chihuahua and plenty of trips abroad.
• Cosmetic surgery, which later led to complications.

She went public, announcing the win on Facebook, and a BBC documentary followed her first year as a millionaire.

“It’s made it ten times worse”

In 2017, aged 20, Jane said she was thinking about suing Camelot, which ran the National Lottery then. She argued nobody should be handed that much money at 17.

“I thought it would make it ten times better but it’s made it ten times worse.” Jane Park, 2017

She never went to court, but she kept telling her story. In 2021 the minimum age to play the National Lottery went up from 16 to 18.

Where is she now?

Jane has built a big following on social media and has run her own business ventures. In January 2023, aged 27, she spoke on the US talk show Dr Phil about what she called the curse of the lottery.

She said she doesn’t regret the money she spent. What she regrets is telling the world. Going public, she said, brought online abuse and threats that have followed her ever since.

“I don’t regret the money I spent, my only regret was going public.” Jane Park, 2023

What other winners can learn

• You don’t have to go public. In the UK it’s your choice, and most big winners stay anonymous.
• Take time before you tell anyone, and don’t post about a win online.
• Get independent advice early, whatever your age.

Callie Rogers, who won £1.9m on Lotto at 16, tells a similar story. You can read it in our winner stories.