Michael Carroll (lottery winner)

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Michael Carroll
Born (1983-03-29) 29 March 1983 (age 41)
Swaffham, Norfolk, England, UK
OccupationRefuse collector
Known forWinning the lottery and squandering his prize winnings

Michael Carroll (born 29 March 1983 in Swaffham, Norfolk) is an Englishman who won the UK National Lottery in 2002.

A former refuse collector, Carroll won £9,736,131 on the National Lottery in November 2002, aged 19. He enjoyed celebrity status for a time in the British tabloid media as the "Lotto lout" and the self-proclaimed "King of Chavs".[1]

Early life[edit]

Carroll's mother worked in a canning factory and his father was a Royal Air Force engineer.[citation needed] When Carroll was 18 months old, his father was jailed in a military prison for 11 years for stabbing a couple after getting into a fight at a dance.[citation needed] His parents separated when he was seven years old; his father died from a heart attack when Carroll was ten. He had several stepfathers, one of whom would lock him in his room for hours after hitting him.[citation needed] Carroll stated he was dyslexic, had ADHD, and was barely literate by the time he finished secondary school.[2]

When Carroll was 13, he received a custodial sentence for shoplifting and was sent to the Hollesley Bay Prison in Suffolk where he reports that he learned to read and write.[citation needed] When Carroll won the Lotto at the age of 19, he was employed part-time as a refuse collector.[2] At the time of his big win, Carroll did not have a bank account, and tried opening one at Coutts as recommended by Camelot. Coutts refused his application, which Carroll later ascribed to his extensive criminal record.[2]

Lottery winner[edit]

Soon after winning the jackpot, Carroll stated he would not be tempted into spending his money lavishly and only wanted to buy a three-bedroom house near a lake, where he could go fishing.[citation needed] As a fan of Rangers, Carroll invested up to £1,000,000 of his winnings via Rangers Financial Management, from whom the football club receive a share of profits on the financial services they sell.[3]

Another investment Carroll made with advice was to set up a £3.9 million investment bond, which generated monthly income. He was advised to use this account only if funds from a regular account were gone. Once withdrawals are made from the bond, however, huge penalty fees were deducted; plus the amount of the withdrawal. Carroll, who was very generous to family and friends, gave his mother, aunt and a sister £1,000,000 each,[2] and claimed by September 2003, he had to start living off the proceeds of the bond.

In 2005, Carroll participated in a celebrity boxing match in which he fought Mark Smith, formerly a cast member of TV show Gladiators, but the fight was officially declared a draw by the judges.

In June 2005, Carroll was given an ASBO after it was found that whilst drunk, he had been catapulting steel balls from his Mercedes van, which resulted in breaking 32 car and shop windows, in Downham Market, where he was living.[citation needed] He was sentenced to 240 hours of community service and a warning that he could face a custodial sentence if he did not adhere to the ASBO.[4]

In February 2006, he was jailed for nine months for affray. It was noted in court while being sentenced that, since 1997, Carroll had 42 previous offences on record.[5]

In 2006, the BBC reported that Carroll was almost broke, having spent his fortune on new homes, drugs, parties, jewellery and cars.[6] Carroll subsequently denied rumours that he had no money left.[7]

While living at his mansion in Swaffham, five of his Rottweilers were found dead with their throats cut.[citation needed] He paid a £130,000 ransom fee to blackmailers who threatened his family.[citation needed] He said the men came with shotguns and said "You aren't so big now are you, Mr. Carroll?". He left his car and he never returned to Swaffham, he claimed.[8] He ended up returning to Downham Market.[2]

In May 2010, Carroll returned to his old job as a refuse collector, but said he had no regrets about the way in which he had spent his winnings.[9]

His autobiography, ghost-written by Sean Boru, entitled Careful What You Wish For was published by John Blake Publishing in October 2006.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Laville, Sandra (29 June 2005). "King of the Chavs - the neighbour from hell or a polite and popular charity worker?". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Who wants to be a millionaire?". The Independent. 22 October 2006. Archived from the original on 7 June 2023.
  3. ^ Thomas Crosbie Media (6 October 2003). "'Lotto lout' invests in Gers". Archived from the original on 2 April 2007. Retrieved 21 May 2007.
  4. ^ Sapsted, David (29 June 2005). "King of Chavs gets ASBO". The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group.
  5. ^ "Nine months for Lotto millionaire". BBC News. 10 February 2006. Retrieved 21 May 2007.
  6. ^ "£9m lottery winner 'almost broke'". BBC News. 13 July 2006. Retrieved 21 May 2007.
  7. ^ "Exclusive: Michael Carroll talks". BBC Radio Norfolk. 14 August 2006.
  8. ^ "Michael Carroll – How to Ruin Your Life After Winning the Lottery". Lottery 'n Go. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  9. ^ "Lotto winner Michael Carroll wants bin job back". BBC News. 19 May 2010.
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