Everyone has dreamt about winning a lottery at least once in their life. In some instances, however, big money means big problems. In this GBC Time article, we are going to take a look at instances where a lottery win led to a horrible experience instead of a lifetime of joy.
Callie Rogers
Callie was just sixteen when she won £1.9 million in a lottery. Like any other teen of her age presented with such money, the girl went on a shopping spree, buying everything she ever wanted – from expensive clothing to vacations and even breast enhancement. Sadly, thanks to her newfound wealth Carrie got addicted to cocaine. Six years after that, the girl was completely broke and with two suicide attempts on her hands.
Janite Lee
In 1993, Janite Lee won $18 million in a lottery raffle. Janite decided to donate most of her money to charities, government programs, and political organizations. She also gave $1 million to St Louis University in Washington. At the same time, Lee developed a gambling habit, spending about $347k on games of chance a year. In 2001, she had to file for bankruptcy due to immense debt.
William Post
The story of William Post is a cautionary tale on how you should be mindful of the people you are surround yourself with. When William won $16.2 million in a lottery, his girlfriend sued him for a part of his winnings and actually won. What is more, Post’s own brother hired a killer to get the money. Although the killer was unsuccessful, William’s siblings recommended some not-so-good investment opportunities, which left him $1 million in debt.
Jack Whittaker
Jack Whittaker was a rich man when he won $135 million in a Powerball lottery. With this contracting firm worth about $1 million, Jack decided to put his lottery winnings to a good cause and support charities. Namely, the Christian ones. He even started a fund, naming it after himself.
Life was not so good for Jack, as about $500k was stolen from his car, which was parked outside a strip club. He also was arrested for driving drunk and became an alcoholic eventually.
Evelyn Adams
Evelyn was extremely lucky as she won massive lottery jackpots not just once but two times in a row – in 1985 and 1986. In total, her winnings amounted to $4.5 million. Instead of doing the reasonable thing and investing at least some part of the prize, however, Adams decided to gamble it all at the Atlantic City instead. Fast-forward 20 years later, and Evelyn was broke to the bone and living in a trailer park.
As seen from these stories, winning a lottery does not guarantee success or happiness. You have to be smart about your richness and not blow all the money at once.
