‘S’, a retiree from a major manufacturing company, lives in Tokyo with his wife on a combined monthly pension of 300,000 yen (US$2,000) and savings of 27 million yen (US$174,000) for their children’s education.

He spent his mornings at a coffee shop buying a few 300-yen ($2) lottery tickets, and one day learned he had won the grand prize.

Shocked, he said, “This does not feel real. The number is so huge, I am even a bit scared. I heard the odds of winning are lower than being struck by lightning.”

To keep the win hidden, S told his wife he had won only 5 million yen ($32,000) for home renovations.

Meanwhile, he secretly purchased a luxury car, stayed at high-end hot spring resorts, and travelled across Japan, spending 18 million yen ($116,000) in just six months.

However, the lifestyle soon brought guilt and loneliness, as he reflected on his father’s lonely death and the family moments he missed.

He said, “Wealth that comes without effort brings up unpleasant memories and shakes my life.”

Eventually, S consulted a financial planner and invested nearly 500 million yen ($3.2 million) into insurance, naming his wife and children as beneficiaries to secure their future.

The story has sparked discussion online, with one observer noting: “For ordinary people, sudden wealth often does not bring happiness, but rather a clash of values and an identity crisis.”