Lotto winners keep on working

WOULDN’T it be nice to never have to work again? According to Australia’s lotto multi-millionaires, apparently not.

Ahead of tomorrow night’s Powerball draw for the largest prize in the country’s lotto history — $150 million — more than 100 past division one winners have shared what they did with their riches.

Surprisingly, hardly any retired, quit their job or reduced their work hours after winning staggering amounts of cash.

Only 10.20 per cent of winners said they changed their job, or went part-time and only 15.31 per cent retired.

A NSW woman who won Australia’s largest Powerball prize in January ($107 million) continued to work in healthcare because it was her passion.

Brownwyn Spencer, from the national organisation that oversees Australia’s lotteries The Lott, said the woman won with a quick pick.

A Victorian winner who became a multi-millionaire overnight said he and his wife could have retired but didn’t. “My wife and I have both worked for 40 plus years and will continue to work because we both have occupations that we love and enjoy the challenges that our jobs present,” he said.

The Lott survey of division one winners also revealed that the majority of people who claimed mega cash prizes spent their winnings wisely.

Most (70.41 per cent) invested the money for the future, hoping it would turn into more money. Half paid off their mortgage (54.08 per cent) and some were generous enough to pay their friends and families, too (10.20 per cent).

Interestingly, while Lotto win hopefuls tend to claim they have big plans as to what they will splash their cash on, only 20.41 per cent enjoyed a holiday and 35.71 per cent bought a new car.

And despite many claiming they wouldn’t tell a soul if they won Lotto, less than 5 per cent of winners told no one.

Most told their partner and immediate family (75 per cent) and 27 per cent let their friends in on the secret. About 22 per cent also donated some, or all, of their winnings to charity.