$280 million lotto winner ditches ‘demanding and greedy’ family

Gillian Bayford, who won the equivalent of a $280 million jackpot 12 years ago, says she has severed ties with her family after they became too “greedy.”

A UK woman who won the equivalent of a $278.36 million jackpot says she severed ties with her family after they became too “greedy.”

“They have lost touch with where they’ve come from,” Gillian Bayford told the Sun of her alleged money-grubbing relatives. “They’re rubbing people’s noses in it by flashing their cash, which I think is downright nasty.”

The Scotland resident had scooped the life-changing sum with her then-husband Adrian in a EuroMillions lottery in August 2012, going from rags to riches in an instant, reports the New York Post.

Gillian Bayford won a life-changing sum with her then-husband Adrian in a EuroMillions lottery in August 2012. Picture: Sean Dempsey/PA Wire

Initially thinking she had it made, Gillian would soon become mired in money problems.

The first domino to fall was her then-husband and fellow lotto winner, whom she split with just 15 months after the win, allegedly due to the stress of managing such a colossal windfall.

The Scot, who has since scored a new soulmate, claims that her relationship with her family followed suit — even though she gave them over $37.31 million.

Shortly after hitting the jackpot, Gillian shelled out $1,324,304 to pay off the family debts — part of it included money owed by her father Ian McCulloch, who died in 2021, and brother Colin over a series of failed business ventures, Business Insider reported.

“My dad and brother built up one company after another and then closed them down,” Gillian declared. “I’ve bailed them out of every debt.”

The benefactor continued to keep her family afloat financially, having notably bought a $522,388 penthouse apartment in eastern Scotland for her parents, who were broke and living in a caravan at the time.

The Dundee, Scotland resident went from rags to riches in an instant. Picture: Getty

However, that apparently wasn’t enough, as nine months after the win, her father implored her to give Colin even more dough. She obliged, bestowing her brother with around $1.5 million, for a new play-centre business, per the Mirror.

Unfortunately, like in the 1964 Beatles song, she couldn’t buy their love. Colin, who has a $546,000 house and drives Audis with private plates, reportedly stopped talking to his rich sister and even married his girlfriend in secret without inviting her to the wedding.

Meanwhile, at one point, her father repeatedly tried to take control of her winnings, as well as take a piece of her business like a financial lamprey.

“It’s upsetting and raw,” Gillian told the Sun in 2016. “The money was supposed to make everybody happy. But it’s made them demanding and greedy.”

She added, “They brought our name into disrespect in the village, and we had people threatening to torch the family house.”

Nonetheless, Gillian says she “can hold my head up, because I know I’ve taken them out of a situation.”

However, she’s had to she sever ties with her family after they became too “greedy.” Picture: Getty

The distraught lotto winner eventually fell out with her parents that year, after they claimed that their daughter was an embarrassment to them.

Her mother Brenda McCulloch claims she’s heartbroken over the lack of contact with her daughter and grandchildren.

“Gillian says that we didn’t try and get in touch with them, but if I’d tried she wouldn’t have let me,” she declared.

The mother also claimed that the $37.31 million Gillian allegedly gave the family was greatly exaggerated. She insisted that while her daughter was “generous,” the actual figure was much lower.

Gillian refuted her mother’s accusations, claiming: “Every word that comes out of their mouths is a lie. I wish them a happy life, but there will be no reconciliation now.”

This article originally appeared on the New York Post and was reproduced with permission.