Spaniard wins record EUR 126 million jackpot in Euro Millions
(PARIS) - A Spaniard late Friday won the record jackpot of 126,231,764 euros in the Euro Millions lottery, smashing the record held for nearly four years by an Irish woman.
The as yet unnamed player, who could if he wanted buy two Airbus A-320 jets, was the only one to tick the five correct numbers (4, 23, 24, 29, 31) and two stars (8, 9) and win the huge jackpot drawn in Paris.
The previous record in the lottery, run by nine European countries, had been held since July 2005 by Dolores McNamara of Gallyowen near Limerick in southwest Ireland who took home 115,436,126 euros.
Friday's winner beat odds of 76 million to one to win the equivalent of four years' salary by David Beckham, the world's best paid footballer.
Euro Millions, which recently celebrated its fifth anniversary, brings together France, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Austria. The jackpot begins at 15 million euros each week but is rolled over if there is no winner.
The world record for a game of chance is 390 million dollars (286 million euros) split by two winners of the super jackpot in the American Mega Millions lottery in March 2007.
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