EuroMillions winner Margaret Loughrey gave relatives over €1million each and had just finished her dream home when she was found dead on Thursday.
"Maggie Millions" won the €31million jackpot eight years ago and had previously said the money had "destroyed her".
The 56-year-old bought the ticket while walking back to her bungalow in Strabane, Co Tyrone, from the Job Centre where she was living on benefits of just €68-a-week.
She later gifted family members €1million each and generously gave neighbours on her council estate €5,800.
Paul Gallagher, a neighbour and local councillor, told the Belfast Telegraph had just renovated a derelict house nicknamed "the barn" into her dream home complete with a "round tin roof".
He added: "She had been living in a bungalow next to it and the barn was just finished, I believe. It's a pity she didn't get to enjoy her new home."
Margaret had previously splashed on a property empire after her win which included a €145,843 bungalow, a pub and a former mill turned leisure centre.
In 2019, she claimed she only had €5.8 million left and said winning the jackpot had "destroyed" her life.
Talking about the moment she realised she had won the jackpot, Ms Loughrey said: “I got up at 7am on Wednesday and put on the television. I just had this notion so I checked my numbers and there they were.
“I was just in state of shock and I must have checked 10 times.
“I took a walk out to the back garden and sat out there for a while before coming back in and checking again.
“I must have walked around the house for five hours before ringing my brother and asking him to call up.”
Police said they are not treating her death as "suspicious", but a post mortem will be carried out to determine the cause.
It is understood she never married by is survived by her four brothers and sister.
Emergency services were called to a home in the area at 10.30am yesterday morning, Belfast Live reported.
A Police Service of Northern Ireland spokesperson added: "Police received a report of the sudden death of a woman at the Ballycolman Lane area of Strabane on Thursday 2nd September.
"A post mortem is due to take place but at this stage, the death is not being treated as suspicious."
She claimed she was left with just €5.8million in 2019 and that she had been the victim of numerous thefts.
The woman told the Sunday Life: "I will never have peace as long as I live. Even if I didn't have a penny left, I won't.
"I regret winning the lottery. Of course I do. I was a happy person before.
"I am a human being and all it has done is destroy my life."
Jason Barr, SDLP councillor for the area, said: "My thoughts and prayers are with the Loughry family and they're with friends of Margaret as well. It's a very sad day.
"Margaret would have been well thought of... she has had her ups and downs in life like all of us but hopefully she's at rest now."
