New-found fortune comes with a caveat

It is a situation most of us barely dare dream of.

One day we are toiling away at work, the next we find ourselves endowed with more money than we know what to do with.

Forfar’s £10 million lottery jackpot winner must have been on an emotional rollercoaster ever since Saturday night’s draw.

First there must be the realisation your numbers have come up – then the discovery you are the only ticket holder to have matched all the numbers. There will be delight, excitement, perhaps relief. But there must also be a degree of humility. Previous lottery winners have not always found that huge piles of cash have brought with them commensurate levels of happiness.

Indeed, many have struggled to cope with the wealth so outlandishly thrust upon them. After all, it is not something one can really prepare for in any meaningful way.

Most people who enjoy huge wealth have either grown up with it or worked hard to amass it.

Very few find themselves in the position of becoming millionaires overnight. Dealing with such a situation will not all be plain-sailing. For sure, life will never be the same again. Friends and family will be more important than ever.

The temptation to make short-term decisions that could, in time, turn out to be rash must be almost overwhelming.

What money does not always buy is wise counsel – and Courier Country’s latest multi-millionaire will certainly require plenty of that if he is to truly enjoy his new-found fortune.