For many, winning the lottery is the ultimate dream — but for one couple, it quickly became a nightmare.
Michael Cartlidge, 39, and Charlotte Cox, 37, both from Spalding, UK, struck gold with a £1 million ($1.3 million) Lotto scratch card. However, just weeks after their windfall, their relationship unraveled.
Cox decided to end the romance after only three months together, but the breakup sparked a far bigger dispute: who was truly entitled to the $1.3 million prize?
What started as a lucky break soon spiraled into a bitter fallout over fortune and fairness.
Cox used her own money to purchase the winning scratch card and was the one who scratched it to reveal the prize.
However, Cartlidge insists that buying the ticket was his idea, and he had attempted to transfer the money to Cox to cover the cost.
At the time, the lottery was managed by Camelot. According to Cartlidge, after reviewing CCTV footage of the purchase, Camelot decided the winnings should be split.
But since then, lottery operations have been taken over by a new company, Allwyn, which has ruled in Cox’s favor.
Now, Cartlidge is considering legal action.
“I’m in shock,” he told The Sun. “I can admit we wouldn’t have had that ticket without Charlotte—but she wouldn’t have had it without me either. Yes, it was her account that paid for it, but morally, I believe it should be a 50-50 split.
“We were both in the shop. I used my Halifax app because I didn’t have my card, and I started transferring the money. I even held up my phone to show her—you can see me doing this on the CCTV, which Camelot has.”
A source close to Cox puts it bluntly: “One million pounds has never caused so much misery. It’s turned the last three months into a nightmare for her and her family.”
The insider continues, “Mike has no claim to that money. He’s not a good guy. Charlotte bought the ticket, scratched it, and won. End of story.”
A spokesperson told The Sun: “The National Lottery Rules for Scratchcard Games are clear: only one person can be the owner of a ticket. The prize can only be claimed by the individual whose name and address are written on the back of the winning scratchcard.
“This rule is always made clear to anyone claiming a prize. If the winner chooses to share the money—such as in a syndicate—we strongly advise getting a legal agreement in place.
“If no such agreement exists, any disagreement is left for the parties to resolve between themselves.”
Looks like the real jackpot here was a messy breakup.
