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John DohertyScottish plumber wins £14m lottery
Country:
 Great Britain |
Content:
- A Scottish Plumber's Millionaire Gamble
- Back to Business
- Community Ties
- JDPS Plumbers
- Newfound Freedom
- A Lucky Lottery Tale
- Modest Celebrations
A Scottish Plumber's Millionaire Gamble
Lottery Luck StrikesJohn Doherty, a 52-year-old plumber from Elderslie, Scotland, became an overnight millionaire after winning a staggering £14 million (nearly $18.5 million) in the lottery. Remarkably, the self-employed plumber returned to his work duties just hours after claiming his windfall.
Back to Business
Accompanied by his wife Alison, 50, Doherty collected his winnings and enjoyed a celebratory break in Florida. However, the couple decided to keep their winning ticket hidden in a lampshade, showing little outward excitement. "I went to fix a water heater straight after we went public," said Doherty. "I'd already been to three jobs this morning and there was another one lined up."
Community Ties
Despite his newfound wealth, Doherty plans to continue his plumbing business. "Everybody keeps asking me if I'm going to pack it in," said the millionaire. "But nobody wants to lose me, and they speak to me exactly the same as they did before I was well off."
JDPS Plumbers
Doherty launched his company, JDPS Plumbers, 30 years ago. Initially, he considered quitting, but he values his self-employment and the ability to control his workload. "I'll probably cut back a wee bit," he said. "But I enjoy doing what I do."
Newfound Freedom
While Doherty will scale back his hours slightly, he plans to continue working. "If I was working for somebody else, I'd probably chuck it," he said. "I'm going to go to a four-day week or, as Alison says, a three-day week."
A Lucky Lottery Tale
The couple purchased the winning ticket on a whim while standing in a queue at a shop. Alison recalled buying the ticket almost unconsciously, following the lead of the person in front of her. She let a man ahead of her in the queue when they were both called to the counter.
"I didn't go into the shop for a lottery ticket. I went in to buy a pint of milk – to make John a cup of tea," said Alison. "There was a guy in the queue in front of me and when the assistant said, 'Next, please,' he said to me to go first."
"But I told him to go ahead," she continued. "The man bought two lottery tickets, and that's when the idea came into my head to do the same."
Modest Celebrations
The millionaire couple celebrated their £14,671,343 windfall with a £300 Coach bag for Alison and a £45 Domino's Hawaiian pizza.
