Builder who won £105,000,000 Euromillions jackpot goes back to work as promised
by James HockadayMany of you will have fantasised about hitting the jackpot, walking out of your job immediately and shooting off to an idyllic beach in the Caribbean.
Self-employed Steve Thomson could have easily could have easily called it quits after winning the £105 million EuroMillions jackpot last month.
But the 42-year-old builder is a man of his word and has been spotted back at work, having vowed to honour outstanding jobs for his clients.
The dad-of-three was seen hauling boxes, figuring out quotes and driving the same old van he shares with his best friend and business partner Neil Peet.
Residents from his town of in Selsey, West Sussex said you’d never guess he was ‘one of the richest men in Britain’ and praised his honourable work ethic.
Hailing him as a ‘total legend’, one local told the Sun: ‘Steve’s a mega jackpot winner but first and foremost a loyal builder.
‘He could be sitting on a sun-kissed beach sipping champers but instead he’s still at work like the rest of us.’
Steve and his wife Lenka Thomson, 41, became the ninth biggest winners in the history of the National Lottery, which celebrated its 25th anniversary last month.
They were practically speechless at a press conference as they recalled their life-changing win on November 19.
Steve said he was was ‘on the verge of having a heart attack’ when he realised he had matched all seven numbers.
He said he only bothered to check his ticket when a colleague who was picking him up for work was running late.
Lenka and Steve say they want to buy a new home so their eight-year-old daughter and two sons aged 10 and 15 can finally have their own bedrooms.
Their youngest boy has already asked for a Tesla car while their daughter says she wants a pink iPhone.
Steve’s parents couldn’t believe the news at first and said: ‘We’ll believe it when we see it.’
Lenka mistakenly thought her husband had won £105,000 at first, before realising he had become a millionaire.
She has asked for a Christmas holiday and said their winnings will make her annual trips to see her family in Slovakia ‘a lot more affordable’.
Steve said ‘everyone is going to have a good Christmas’ and insisted neither he, Lenka or his mum would be cooking this year.
He has vowed to be ‘sensibly generous’ with his winnings and wants to do ‘whatever he can’ to help his village.