Cloud £9M

My name is Deola Sulola.

And I JUST WON £10.54 million!!!

Naturally, i'm pretty excited about it. When i first got the little e-mail on my blackberry that The National Lottery has  'some news about my ticket'. I went back to bed, I know the drill, I probably won £10, £20 or maybe even £80. Nice I suppose, but nothing to crack the laptop open for.

Life resumed as usual.

I guess it's fair to say that it only served to make things even more immense when I finally logged in to be told I'd won the jackpot. how do you pronounce R. E. S. U. L. T!

The odds, in the millions. but, someone seems to win every week and there has been a lot of weeks in my life. so erm, this ones mine!

It's hard to describe the feeling as it starts to sink in, the knot in your stomach as it tightens and loosens simultaneously or the waves of guilt and nausea which give a way to genuine fear.

'things like this don't happen to me... something bad must be around the corner?!? 

Well, when i'm at a loss in life (haha loss!!) or if i'm in an unknown or unfamiliar situation. I like to create a reference point and map my way out. Here, my only yard stick was that I have always told myself in countless thoughts that on the day of my first million. I will go out 'running and screaming and throwing up everywhere'! 

I ran. I screamed. I threw up everywhere.

Once the nervous energy is gone, and it really is a lot of nervous energy. Time begins to move really slowly. Like 'Fat man in the cake isle in sainsburys' slow. Nigerian movie (gospel music in the background) timeline transition slow. Titus Bramble slow. 

Its almost impossible to endure with the millions of thoughts (aaahhh £££millions) running through my mind. Cue insomnia, intense privacy and a chronic need to get out of the house.

Everything feels like a test, driving suddenly feels so much more perilous. I dont want to die now, not before i've drank from the platinum cup of sweet wealth. Nostalgia too, kicks in, I find myself looking back at my actions and balancing things off. All the people I hurt, all the things or people that hurt me, all the desperate, dire and broke-minded things i did when penniless. All those times I was there for, or gave to people. Put it all on a scale and...yeah, definitely reckon I was in due credit around £10.54M!!!

After pulling out from my past, and wondering just how fast it would all catch up with me, I begin to look to the future. In honesty, mapping it out and planning ahead are the first things that give me peace about it all. There is a calming assurance that comes with knowing what you want and that you can easily work towards it. I write it here to give myself some accountability, to erm, you. This money will change me, but only in ways that I want it to.

They say money magnifies the man. So if you see me small now, here's what may be all up in your face shortly!.

Well, I have decided I will continue to work, I do a rewarding job where i can make a genuine and tangible impact. Sure I may take time off now and then to contribute time and energy to my other causes. but i wont leave. Infact I will still collect my pay and after my initial spending spree, which will be on a house a car and family donations, I will live off my salary and interest, only.

There are a couple business plans I've made which will also get off the ground. So I'll also have money put aside for that.

I don't think it will be obvious to everyone that i'm filthy stinking rich. I used to think i'd want to have an helicopter sitting on my roof. And that i'd have to buy a second helicopter just so people looking at my house when I'm IN the helicopter wont think i'm 'helicopter-less'. But i wont do that, not immediately, people might think that was over indulgent.

Im going to put away 4million in a high interest bank which I cant touch for 23 years. then i'm going to spend another 4million on Bonds, stocks and T-bills. The other money will be to use as i please, I'll give at least £25K to each household in my family. (I don't want to interfere with their lives, but i want to help... I may try and give them money discreetly so they don't know its from me?) 'Kanye shrug'

I met a Multi-millionaire at work this week and I liked his style. It was a smart, casual and elegant look. which seemed to say "You cannot say for sure how much money I have... but you wouldn't argue with whatever amount i told you!" So yeah, i'm going for that look. 

Eventually I want a tennis court, swimming pool and all round entertainment room, but that's only going to happen once I have used the money to make money off of my own ideas and hard work.

Lottery money is starter money.... it's not really the same... I've got to make mine!

'God bless the child that has his own'

So, my life should be sooo different now, and i guess it is. Still a slave to tiredness, hunger, gravity and the confines of time.

But hey, I have right now what most people spend there entire lives wishing for.

And all i ever crave right now, is the right feeling at the right time and a peaceful life. Things which money isn't always a part of.

But hey, if you've read this far, you're probably really happy for me, right? well, in two weeks time on a Friday I'm going out to celebrate. I really hope you will join me... its gonna be a mad one!! I'll let you know the details soon.

Till then, all the best and remember.

Nothing ventured nothing gained.

Signing out...