Michael Carroll: The Ultimate “Are You Garbage?” Lottery Winner
If Are You Garbage? had a Hall of Fame for Lotto winners who torched their fortunes in the most “garbage” way possible, Michael Carroll would be a first-ballot inductee. This dude went from garbage man to millionaire to broke again in record time—and he did it in the most spectacularly trashy way imaginable.
The Setup:
In 2002, 19-year-old Michael Carroll was working as a garbage collector in England when he hit the £9.7 million ($14 million) jackpot in the UK National Lottery. Most people would invest, maybe buy a house, set up some savings. Not this guy.
Carroll treated the jackpot like it was his personal “YOLO” fund. What followed was an eight-year masterclass in how to go from riches to rags, featuring cocaine, hookers, demolition-derby-level car crashes, and enough bad decisions to make even a Florida Man say, “Mate, you need to chill.”
The Spending Spree:
Here’s a breakdown of how Michael Carroll made sure he’d be broke again ASAP:
The Cars – Carroll bought a fleet of luxury rides, including Mercedes, BMWs, and a gold Cadillac, because nothing says “money well spent” like a car that looks like a prop from a bad rap video.
The “Grime Palace” – He bought a $1.2 million mansion, then turned it into the UK’s worst frat house, where the walls were punched, furniture was burned, and the backyard became an amateur dirt track.
The Parties – Carroll personally funded a small economy of drug dealers and party girls, spending up to £2,000 a day on cocaine and hosting parties so insane that his neighbors moved out just to escape the madness.
Generosity Gone Wrong – Instead of smart investments, he handed out stacks of cash to anyone who asked, which, shocker, ended with him getting scammed and robbed.
Legal Troubles – With all the partying came arrests for fighting, drugs, and reckless behavior, leading one judge to call him “a menace to society.”
The Crash & Burn:
By 2010, just eight years later, Michael Carroll had officially blown every single penny. His mansion was repossessed, his luxury cars were gone, and he was back to job hunting—this time without a lottery safety net.
Where Is He Now?
Believe it or not, he actually turned his life around. These days, Carroll lives a quiet life working as a coal truck driver in Scotland and has said losing all his money was “the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Final Verdict: Is Michael Carroll Garbage?
Oh, 100% garbage, no question. But also? An all-time legend. He cashed out of the game in spectacular fashion, and while he’s no longer burning money on fast cars and faster women, his story is a cautionary tale that would make Are You Garbage? fans proud.
Lesson learned? If you hit the lottery, maybe don’t turn your mansion into a budget version of The Wolf of Wall Street.
