One lucky Lotto player could make history on Saturday by scooping an estimated £46.5 million in the first draw made in 2016, the largest ever jackpot up for grabs.
The prize would be the biggest sum claimed by a single winner after three winning ticket-holders shared £42 million in 1996.
The current biggest jackpot won on a single ticket was in 1995 when work colleagues Mark Gardiner and Paul Maddison, from Hastings, shared £22.5 million.
A National Lottery spokesman said: "The largest Lotto jackpot the nation has ever seen is waiting to be won on Saturday.
“If a single ticket-holder wins the estimated £46.5 million jackpot they will be the biggest Lotto jackpot winner ever."
According to the Sunday Times richlist, the lucky winner would eclipse the wealth of former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, who is worth an estimated £40 million.
The ticket-holder would find themselves in the same financial league as tennis ace Andy Murray, belived to be worth £48 million, and Grammy award winner Adele, who has a reported £50 million in the bank.
However, the record may not be broken if the Lotto jackpot reaches or exceeds £50 million.
Once it reaches that amount it will roll into the next draw when it must be won even if no ticket matches all six numbers drawn out.
If that situation arises, the prize will be shared between winners in the next tier where there will be at least one winner.
The National Lottery spokesman said a record 341 millionaires were made last year until mid-December.
