$5m winner lives in caravan and fixes potholes

An Australian council worker who won $5 million in Lotto two months ago still lives in a caravan. Paul Cousins, 52, has no plans to retire from his job repairing potholes for the local shire, despite the massive windfall.

The Jurien Bay battler - possibly Australia's most frugal multimillionaire - spent only $50 on a carton of budget beer and a Chinese takeaway meal to celebrate the win two months ago. He reckons he's "as happy as Larry" in the caravan he's lived in for five years. "It's been comfortable enough all these years," he said.

Mr Cousins, a life-long Lotto player, bought the $4.20 Slikpik ticket from his Jurien Bay newsagent. When his numbers came up, he rode his battered bicycle to the newsagent to verify the win. "Well I couldn't drive, could I? Someone had stolen my car a week earlier," he said.



"When I found out it was $5 million, I bought a pack of ciggies, had a few beers and some Chinese and went into work like normal the next morning."

His only concession to becoming an overnight millionaire was to buy a new Jeep and to financially help his parents and five siblings, who all live in WA.

"I'm just the same simple bloke," said Mr Cousins. "Mind you, it's nice having a car that's got aircon."