Advice for millionaires

Press, 3 September 1984, Page 1

Advice for millionaires

“Remain anonymous” is the only advice Christchurch’s million-dollar lottery winners would give to their Levin successors.

“I wouldn’t let anyone know who you are,” said the man, who with his wife, scooped the first $1 million lottery prize on May 31 this year.

The Christchurch couple, with their two pre-school children, have managed to maintain their public anonymity. Although most of their family, friends, and a few strangers knew of their win, the' couple had not been bothered by eager salesmen, or fortune hunters, said Mr X. He agreed to be interviewed only if his identity was not revealed. News media interest was intense, only during the first flush of their windfall.

Although they have been millionaires for three months now, there are few

signs oi opulence in the winners’ Somerfield home. A reporter of “The Press” arrived unannounced at their house yesterday, to discover Mr X taking a break from gardening. He switched off the lunch he was cooking and offered a seat on a comfortable and unpretentious sofa. “I couldn’t recommend how to use the money to the latest $1 million winners,” he said.

The Christchurch couple have invested their $1 million and intend to spend only the interest. “It would be pretty easy to blow the lot” otherwise, said Mr X.

“Life goes on much the same,” he said. “The money hasn’t changed us at all,” although having the money meant they now never had to worry about it. “I have been working every day since the win,” he

said. He and his brother established and run a small business in Christchurch. Purchases have been modest. Apart from new clothes and kitchen gadgets, the main buy has been a gleaming 1954 Austin Healey. The family still live m their pre-millionaire-days Somerfield home, although they, are looking for a new home in Christchurch. Social life has not changed dramatically either; .

"You can’t change your social life with a’ couple of small kids anyway, and I don’t think I would want it to change,” said Mr X. He and his wife were relieved to find that their new affluence had not had any adverse impact on friendships. “I still go out to rugby training on a Wednesday, then have a pint in the pub with the rest of the team,” he said.

Prize list, page 2'