Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
World
Ryan Merrifield

Man scoops £1million on the lottery - then dies four months after win

An 88-year-old former miner who won €1.2 million (£1.07 million) on the lottery has died just four months later after barely touching his winnings.

Jesus Martinez - who scooped the Spanish Christmas Lottery in Madrid - used to say that a gypsy had predicted that one day he would be a millionaire.

But when the day came, Jesus did not realise his time to spend the fortune was running out fast.

Jesus won his fortune with his lucky number 05490 in the draw on December 22.

Lotto chiefs paid out the huge win in instalments and Jesus had only had time to receive his first three instalments.

He had deposited the first two instalments in his bank account before he died. It is currently unclear what Jesus did with the third instalment.

The televised draw of the Spanish Christmas Lottery in December 2022 (Newsflash)

One of his friends, who has not been named, said: "Unfortunately, he only had four months to enjoy the large prize."

His friend said that Jesus often said that a gypsy woman had read his cards and predicted that he would be a millionaire, which is why "he always played the lottery".

Jesus's cause of death was not given in local media and it is uncertain what will happen to the rest of his winnings, which has yet to be paid out.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.