Britain’s biggest-ever lottery win was announced on Tuesday, but only yesterday did the winner come forward to claim their £170 million EuroMillions jackpot.
Once they get their hands on the cash, they’ll be richer than singer Ed Sheeran, golfer Rory McIlroy and Queen’s Brian May.
But should they save it, squirrel it away under their mattress, invest it, or give it away to worthy causes — or throw caution to the wind and blow it all in one glorious day of extreme extravagance?
If they do want to enjoy the millionaire lifestyle to the full, here Jane Fryer shows how to splash out like a member of the jet-set. Once you get the hang of it, even £170 million can go very quickly indeed . . .
BILLIONAIRES’ ROW
There’s a special place in London for the uber-rich. The Bishops Avenue — a tree-lined, bulletproof, security-heavy half-mile in East Finchley known as Billionaires’ Row or ‘The Chavenue’ — is all about wealth, excess and displaying it in the showiest way possible.
This £35 million property is just the ticket for a rookie multi-millionaire, although for the same amount again, you could knock the whole lot down and build your own mega-mansion.
Bishops Avenue in East Finchley is all about wealth, excess and displaying it in the showiest way possible (pictured, a property on the road)
CHECK OUT MY COAT
Burberry’s check basketweave ribbon coat is tailored in Italy from velvet, satin and grosgrain ribbon in classic Burberry check with a contrasting collar.
OK, it isn’t terribly practical — the heavily textured finish is prone to snagging and it is only suitable for a specialist clean — but who cares when you can afford to just buy another one?
FELINE FANCY
No one will ignore you at a party when you’re wearing this sequined tiger mini-dress by Balmain. Especially when you tell them you could have bought 29,539 of them.
Burberry’s check basketweave ribbon coat (left) is tailored in Italy from velvet, satin and grosgrain ribbon in classic Burberry check with a contrasting collar. While this sequined tiger mini-dress by Balmain (right) will mean no one will ignore you at a party
FINE DINING
Don’t bother donning your pinny: just fly in TV chef Gordon Ramsay to cook for you and your pals — a snip at £150,000.
Naturally, you’ll need some champagne to get the conversation flowing, so start the party with a magnum of 1959 Krug for £22,400 from Hedonism Wines in Mayfair.
They could also help you with a bottle of Montrachet Domaine Leflaive 1991 (£13,900) that would go nicely with Gordon’s salmon starter; a magnum of Romanée Conti 2005 (£70,800) to complement the wagyu beef; and an 1847 Yquem (£96,400) that would make the apple and almond pudding sing.
Don’t bother donning your pinny: just fly in TV chef Gordon Ramsay (pictured) to cook for you and your pals — a snip at £150,000
SPLASHING OUT
Top of every uber-rich wishlist are a superyacht and a private jet.
Of course, some flashy types go bananas in their yachts, with infinity pools, ice chambers, wine cellars with underwater windows and solid silver staircases.
But a modest 131ft £20 million British-built Sunseeker, complete with marble bathrooms, helipad, underfloor heating and luxury staff quarters, should be sufficient. Not forgetting the extra £10 million to personalise it and £2 million to run it for a year.
Brand-new private jets range in price from £2 million to around £70 million. Perhaps this is where you can exercise some financial restraint. After all, you can pick up a second-hand Gulfstream G-650 for just over £50 million.
You could buy a modest 131ft £20 million British-built Sunseeker (pictured), complete with marble bathrooms, helipad, underfloor heating and luxury staff quarters
PEOPLE POWER
For the mega-wealthy, it’s all about the staff. Just £399 buys a Polo & Tweed butler for the day. Your very own Jeeves will arrive in full livery, complete with white gloves, and tend your every need, from champagne pouring to silver polishing, bath drawing to wardrobe valeting.
And, with all that money, you’ll need round-the-clock security, so hire a live-in bodyguard — or two. For £1,000 a day, it’s worth it.
They will secure your new, multi- million-pound home, scout buildings, sweep cars and screen all staff and personnel.
NEW SHOES
Jimmy Choo’s Romy 85 crystal and suede court shoes will garnish your millionaire bling look perfectly for £1,895.
Jimmy Choo’s Romy 85 crystal and suede court shoes will garnish your millionaire bling look perfectly for £1,895 (the shoes are pictured)
MARIAH LIVE IN YOUR LIVING ROOM
When you’re rich as Croesus and neurotic about kidnap, you tend to go out less, so people will come to you.
Even Mariah Carey, who, for £1 million, will swing by your 40ft sitting room to sing a medley of her greatest hits, including All I Want For Christmas Is You.
Just be prepared for some diva-like demands — Mariah may want 100 white doves released as she arrives and will probably insist your entire house is painted white — but, of course, that’s what your staff are for.
Mariah Carey, who, for £1 million, will swing by your 40ft sitting room to sing a medley of her greatest hits, including All I Want For Christmas Is You
HOLIDAYS OF A LIFETIME
All this spending is exhausting, so you’ll need to book a holiday (or three) to get away from it all.
One option — if time is tight in your new life — is a one-day trip to Antarctica, offered by White Desert. Fly by private jet from Cape Town and have a good eight hours to explore, finishing with a gourmet champagne dinner. The trip lasts less than 24 hours, but costs £160,000.
You could also snap up a mini-break in the penthouse suite of the George V in Paris, which boasts a marble infinity bathtub and uninterrupted views of the Eiffel Tower across the Seine, and costs from £43,200 for two nights.
Or perhaps you could jet off to the Fortress Resort in Sri Lanka to polish off the world’s most expensive dessert — a £27,833 gold-leaf Italian cassata made from Irish cream, Dom Perignon and chocolate, adorned with an 80-carat aquamarine gemstone.
You could also snap up a mini-break in the penthouse suite of the George V in Paris
It boasts a marble infinity bathtub and uninterrupted views of the Eiffel Tower across the Seine, and costs from £43,200 for two nights
One option for a holiday — if time is tight in your new life — is a one-day trip to Antarctica, offered by White Desert (pictured, penguins in Antarctica)
MONEYBAG
Some might say the Mouawad 1001 Nights Diamond Purse — a small, shiny handbag handcrafted by artisans over 8,800 hours in 18-carat gold and adorned with 4,517 yellow, pink and colourless diamonds — is ever so slightly ostentatious.
Then again, if you’re going to pay £3.1 million for the world’s most pricey handbag (into which you can fit neither your diary nor keys) it is vital that people see it sparkle.
BANKING ON A BANKSY
Last week, this Banksy painting of chimpanzees in the House of Commons broke auction records for a work by the street artist when it went for £9.9 million including the buyer’s premium.
Appoint an art consultant now to start the bidding for your very own Banksy.
Last week, this Banksy painting of chimpanzees in the House of Commons broke auction records for a work by the street artist when it went for £9.9 million
RACY RUNABOUT
For the school-run, the £2,457,795 Bugatti Chiron can accelerate you (and your kids) from 0 to 60mph in 2.4 seconds — though it is a bit cramped in the back.
What with your Bugatti, private jet and day trip to Antarctica, you’ll want to offset your carbon footprint via Certified Emissions Reductions — this’ll cost you around £5,000 a year.
For the school-run, the £2,457,795 Bugatti Chiron can accelerate you (and your kids) from 0 to 60mph in 2.4 seconds
A NOT-SO LIGHT BITE
Just because you’re rich doesn’t mean you can’t pop out for a burger.
The FleurBurger 5000, at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas — which features wagyu beef, foie gras and black truffle shavings — is yours for £4,095.
The FleurBurger 5000, at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas — which features wagyu beef, foie gras and black truffle shavings — is yours for £4,095
RICH REHAB
Being filthy rich can be bad for your mental health, not least because the super-wealthy tend to have few real friends they can trust, suffer from a chronic lack of purpose, and are terrified of kidnap and neurotic about cyber-attacks and everyone constantly trying to rip them off.
So make an appointment for a top-to-toe health check with Addcounsel, therapists for the rich — where a week’s care in a private London mansion will set you back £45,000.
MEMBERS ONLY
Now you’ll need to join a members’ club. Founded in 1863, The Arts Club in Mayfair costs £2,000 a year, plus £2,000 joining fee. Your family will enjoy Cloud Twelve in Notting Hill — a ‘one-of-a-kind wellness and lifestyle club’ with an interactive play and learn zone for children, a spa, salon, plant-based organic brasserie (also open to non-members) and holistic wellness clinic — from £2,000 a year.
Total: £169,222,439