Keith Gough, 58, was thought to be penniless when he died in March after suffering a heart attack brought on by drinking and stress, Daily Mail reported on its website. But Gough, father of two, had actually left nearly £8,00,000 in his will.

Gough of Bridgnorth, Shropshire, won the lottery in 2005. He bought top-of-the-range BMW, racehorses and an executive box at Aston Villa Football Club with the money.
He and his wife, who were married for 27 years, separated two years later after Gough quit his job and began drinking heavily out of “boredom”.

He rented a £one-million home and hired a chauffeur and a gardener on annual salaries of £25,000 and £15,000 respectively. But he blew a fortune on gambling and was duped out of more than £7,00,000 by conman James Prince, who persuaded him to invest in bogus business schemes.

Gough claimed in an interview that his life had been “ruined” by his lottery win. He said: “Without routine in my life I started to spend, spend, spend. In the end I was just bored. Before the win, all I would drink was some wine with a meal. I used to be popular but I’ve driven away all my friends. When I see someone going in to a news agent, I advise them not to buy a ticket.”