LOTTERY

The story of Luke Pittard, the man who won the lottery and decided to go back to work at McDonald’s

His friends think he's "a little crazy," he told the BBC, although he believes he's still young and that "a little hard work doesn't hurt anyone."

MIKE SEGAR

As.com

Redacción Diario As

Update: Dec 6th, 2025 17:44 EST

Back in 2006, a 25-year-old man named Luke Pittard won the equivalent of $1.7 million in Britain’s National Lottery. After splurging on a new home and a luxury vacation in Spain’s Canary Islands, Pittard made a surprising choice: he went back to his old job at McDonald’s—because he missed his friends, according to the BBC.

From jackpot to everyday life

When Pittard and his fiancée, Emma Cox, hit the jackpot in July 2006, both were working at a McDonald’s in Pontprennau, Cardiff. They quickly quit, bought a house worth about $310,000, threw a lavish wedding, and enjoyed time off with their three-year-old daughter, Chloe.

But the novelty of being a millionaire wore off. Pittard realized what he really missed was the camaraderie of his coworkers.

Back behind the counter

Today, Pittard wakes up early to work morning shifts during the week. He earns about $9 an hour at the restaurant. His colleagues jokingly say he’s “a little crazy,” but Pittard insists he’s still young and believes “a bit of hard work never hurt anyone.”

“Why not go back?”

“There were so many familiar faces—it felt like coming back to a group of old friends,” Pittard explained. “A lot of my former McDonald’s coworkers came to our wedding, and I stayed in touch with them. So I thought, why not go back?”

His wife Emma fully supports the decision. “I completely understand. We both really enjoyed working at McDonald’s and still have good friends there. It felt natural for him, something he was actually looking forward to,” she said.

Welcomed back by the boss

Restaurant manager Katherine Jones said she was thrilled to have Pittard back. “He’s a great member of the team. When he won the lottery, we were all so happy for him. I’m glad he had time to enjoy his winnings, but I love having him here—it’s like he never left.”