A lottery winner burned through fifty million dollars of his jackpot by spending one hundred thirty one thousand dollars a week. People love to daydream about money fixing everything, but sometimes it just creates a whole new set of problems.
That is what happened to Colin Weir, who won about two hundred million back in 2011 on the Euromillions. It was one of the biggest payouts ever and people assumed he would never have to worry again.
But winning does not always bring peace, and a lot of past winners have talked about how strange and overwhelming life becomes after the money hits. When someone gets a giant amount all at once with no real plan it can push them into reckless choices fast.
Weir blew around fifty million before he died in 2019, which is still hard for people to wrap their heads around. Before all this, he had worked as a cameraman in Scotland and his wife Christine was a psychiatric nurse. They eventually divorced in 2018, and things just kept shifting from there.
His death certificate later confirmed he died from sepsis and acute kidney injury. What he had left went to his two kids. After his passing, people saw the bank statements and finally understood where all the money had gone.
A lot of the spending was stuff people always say they would do if they ever hit a jackpot. He bought fancy vacations, cars, houses, helped friends and family, and supported charities. But then he started going bigger and the numbers added up quickly.
He owned a vintage Bentley Arnage and a Jaguar F Pace SUV along with several Mercedes cars. He purchased a fifty five percent share of Partick Thistle Football Club because he wanted the community to eventually run it again. He also owned three racehorses including Knighted, Felony, and an Irish mare named If You Say Run.
He spent plenty on art and jewellery too and those items were valued at more than two hundred thousand dollars when he died. He donated heavily to political causes and pushed for things he believed in.
Scotland’s First Minister at the time even said she was incredibly sad when he passed. She said: “Colin’s determination and generosity in the cause of Scottish independence cannot be overstated and was hugely appreciated. The SNP and the independence movement has lost a true friend today and we will miss him dearly.”
Even though Weir burned through a shocking amount of money studies still show most lottery winners actually keep their wealth. Many say their lives improve after winning and they do not usually blow through it the way people assume.
