James Clarkson, a 20-year-old trainee gas engineer from Carlisle, Cumbria, struck gold when he won a £7,533,329 UK National Lottery jackpot in the January 4, 2025 draw. His life-changing windfall was actually set in motion by a smaller stroke of luck the previous week, as he used a portion of a £120 prize won in the Christmas Day draw to purchase five lines on the National Lottery app. One of his randomly selected lines hit all six main numbers for the top prize: 16, 19, 22, 24, 27, and 35.
Clarkson discovered the win early the following morning while staying at his girlfriend’s house, having stepped out of bed to look at the fresh snowfall outside. Upon opening the app and seeing the exact jackpot figure, he woke his girlfriend to break the news, but she sleepily dismissed it by telling him “no, you haven’t won” before rolling back over to sleep. Unsure if he was dreaming, Clarkson called his father and went straight home, sitting on his parents’ bed alongside his mother and brother until the National Lottery line opened at 9:00 AM to officially confirm the ticket.
Despite becoming an overnight multi-millionaire, Clarkson was right back to work clearing blocked drains in the freezing cold the very next morning. Working in property maintenance with his father, he committed to finishing his apprenticeship to complete his gas engineering qualifications, noting that he wants to stay grounded and maintain a clear purpose in life. His immediate priorities with the money included paying off his parents’ mortgage, booking a luxury vacation to Cape Verde, gifting his girlfriend a Gucci bag, buying a new Audi, and setting his sights on season tickets to watch his favorite football club, Manchester City.