What if the boss of the National Lottery won the jackpot?
It’s a question that everyone has either been asked or posed themselves – what would you do if you won the National Lottery?
Doubtless there are countless answers to that very simple question, although talk might be dominated at the moment by questions over how hard the Labour government would tax that new-found wealth.
But what happens if you are the person actually in charge of the lottery itself?
The person is Andria Vidler, the chief executive of Allwyn UK – the company which took over the National Lottery licence from Camelot in February 2024.
Speaking on an up-coming episode of City PM‘s Boardroom Uncovered show, Vidler revealed what she would do if she ever won the National Lottery even though she’s not currently allowed to play because of her position at Allwyn UK.
National Lottery boss reveals her inspiration
Vidler said: “I would do a few things that are passion projects. I love swimming and I’m a believer that every child needs to learn how to swim.
“Not just for safety reasons but for health and mental well-being. I think it’s really important. I don’t think enough kids get the chance to learn to swim.
“That’d be one of the first things but I have mortgages [for loved ones]. You know, basic things like that.
“Then my husband would say ‘enough – now we need to do something sensible’.”
She added: “There’s a lady who won the National Lottery in some of its first few years in Northern Ireland who has been unbelievably generous.
“She has spent years since giving back, sharing and investing.
“I think the ripple effect of the National Lottery funding is something everyone can’t see and it’s something I really feel passionately about.
“So I look to her and I think, wow, what a difference you’ve made to your community.”
The CEO also spoke about large investment projects that the National Lottery has undertaken over the last 30 years since its inception as being a possible source of inspiration for what she would do with her jackpot winnings.
She said: “The Glasshouse [International Centre for Music in the North East] was one of the first largest grants made to a region outside of London when the National Lottery first was up and running.
“They received a really significant budget and they built a music centre that is very true to Newcastle and the North East and enables anyone to come in and enjoy music and to learn music and just to involve themselves in music.
“That has created a massive ripple effect and they have now calculated over the last 20 years since £681m has been created around that sort of ecosystem just on what they’ve done. That really inspires me.
“So what I’d try and do is after I’ve paid off the mortgages and after I’d done something in swimming schools, would be to look at how that, how I could invest and create a further ripple.”