Pulmonary embolism Lottery millionaire celebrates for months - then has to be hospitalized

A British lottery millionaire had to go to hospital after three months of almost non-stop partying. Now he wants to reorganize his life.

Adam Lopez, 39, became a millionaire in one fell swoop in July with a lottery win of one million pounds (around 1.07 million Swiss francs). The British forklift truck driver previously had the equivalent of just 13 francs in his account, as reported by the BBC.

Of course, the win had to be celebrated - for three months Lopez went from pub to pub and from one party to another. But at some point his body could take no more. On September 10, he was admitted to hospital with a bilateral pulmonary embolism.

"I couldn't walk, I couldn't breathe," he tells the BBC. "It was a huge wake-up call," Lopez continues. Since he won the money in July, it had been an "absolute rollercoaster ride".

Lopez spent eight and a half days in hospital. Now he has learned a lesson: "It doesn't matter whether you have a million, 100 million, a billion or a trillion - when you're in an ambulance, none of that matters." After quitting his job immediately after winning, he now wants to turn his life around.

Lottery player fails to collect 120 million prize

In Germany, on the other hand, a slightly different case is currently unfolding. Around two weeks ago, a person won 120 million euros - but has not yet turned up. "We are still hoping that he will get in touch," a Lotto Berlin spokesperson told RTL.

Should the winner still not come forward, a plan B is already in place: The Lotto company then wants to take up the search itself - for example with information boards and notices in several retail outlets. Posters could also be used to encourage players to check their picks again.

It remains unclear why the winner has not yet turned up. The ticket was handed in at a retailer in the Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf district. It is believed to be a casual player, according to a spokesperson.