Freed by £184m (or a hostage to fortune)

THERE will be few people in the country who can honestly say they are not a teensy bit envious of Joe and Jess Thwaite, left, the couple from Gloucestershire who scooped £184million in the EuroMillions lottery with a lucky dip ticket. £184million! Just think how many houses you could buy, or Gucci bags, or steaks covered in real gold leaf (none, hopefully, if you have even a modicum of taste). Conversely, think of all the causes you could support. The amount you could donate to a food bank, or the Red Cross, or your most beloved animal charities. Not to mention how you could help out all your relatives and friends by paying a spiralling gas bill, writing off their mortgage or buying them a foreign holiday.

But among all these dreams lies a problem. That amount of money is not just life-changing, it’s life-dominating. Every relationship, every purchase, every decision you make with a bank balance that size will be coloured by its sheer volume.

More than that, everyone will be judging how you choose to spend it. Money can, as we know, set you free. But in huge piles, it can also enslave you.