Italian lottery winner inheritance dispute

A truck driver from Padua won a record €220 million in the SuperEnalotto in 2019, quit his job and later remarried in July 2025. He died suddenly in June 2026 without children or other heirs, leaving his estate to his second wife, who became the universal heir.

The winner’s first wife, a former cleaning worker, has filed a court claim seeking a successor monthly allowance of about €5,000, invoking the Italian divorce‑law provision that allows continuation of spousal support after the death of the former spouse.

Italian inheritance law requires heirs to accept the legacy with the benefit of inventory, limiting liability for the deceased’s debts to the value of the inherited assets. The case will be governed by these rules, including the need for a notarial declaration, registration in the succession register and a detailed inventory of assets and liabilities. The dispute therefore centers on whether the ex‑wife’s claim for allowance is justified and how the estate will be administered under the inventory‑benefit framework.