9 Times Lottery Winners Spent Their Money in the Weirdest Ways Possible (4 of 5)

Peter Lavery — Whiskey Distillery

Peter Lavery’s story is unusual in the best way: he won big, then poured serious money into building something that the whole world would appreciate. After winning the lottery, just over £10 million, he invested a hefty chunk of that into whiskey projects tied to Belfast, including plans around a distillery site with heavy local history and later efforts that helped bring distilling back to the city in a major way. Unlike the classic “burn it all in five years” trope, Lavery was smart to invest in something that people love.

Michael Carroll — Cars and Bikes for Demolition Derby

Michael Carroll won £9.7 million in 2002 at age 19 and almost instantly became tabloid-famous as the “Lotto lout.” He proceeded to spend ridiculous amounts of money, like he was trying to speedrun bankruptcy. One Guardian report described drug-fueled partying and even demolition-derby-style races on his land. Eventually, he ended up back at his desk job, so that’s something positive for society at least.