Lucky Saver Wins Premium Bonds Jackpot With Bond Bought Less Than 100 Days Ago

A UK saver has won the £1 million Premium Bonds jackpot with a bond purchased less than 100 days ago, making it one of the quickest wins on record. The winner, from Somerset, bought their bond in July, meaning it was eligible for its second draw in October.

This recipient joins an elite group of National Savings and Investments (NS&I) top prize winners who have claimed the £1 million prize with a bond held for fewer than 100 days. Exclusive data previously revealed that the fastest jackpot winners held their bonds for as little as 59 days, with one case in Surrey in March 1997 and another in Bedfordshire in March 2018.

The Somerset winner would have held the bond for between 62 and 92 days. Sales of Premium Bonds often see a surge at the end of each month, which could indicate that this winner is among the fastest ever.

In total, 11 other winners of the £1 million jackpot have held their bonds for 62 days or less. The Somerset winner marks the ninth millionaire from the county, holding £16,000 worth of bonds.

The second £1 million jackpot winner for October is from East Sussex. This individual purchased their winning bond in May 2018 and holds the maximum allowable £50,000 in Premium Bonds. They are the eighth person to win the £1 million prize in East Sussex.

Andrew Westhead, NS&I retail director, commented on the recent wins: "Our Somerset winner only bought their winning bond in July this year, while our East Sussex winner waited eight years for the jackpot. This shows that whenever you invest in Premium Bonds, you never know when a big prize might be coming your way."

October's draw marks the 587th and 588th £1 million jackpot winners, alongside over 6.5 million other tax-free prizes ranging from £25 to £100,000. In the October draw, a total of nearly £500 million in prizes will be distributed to 6,546,849 winners. Since the first draw in June 1957, a total of 865 million prizes have been awarded, valued at £43 billion.

Since 1994, 42 winners of the £1 million jackpot have purchased their bonds within five months of winning, representing approximately one in 12 jackpot winners. Premium Bonds are only eligible for the draw a full month after purchase, leading many savers to buy at the end of the month. Analysis shows that, on average, jackpot winners in the past year purchased their bonds 65 months prior, or about five and a half years, before winning.