3/30 Mega Millions $640,000,000 vol. New Record

[sonoftony]

Originally Posted by ToneLow

Originally Posted by hongcouver604

You all are chasing dumb dreams 

.

We have collected the true, terribly sad stories of lotto winners that show that winning the lottery, despite the seeming wonderfulness of having some $ 500 600-million more dollars (before taxes) to your name, is not all it's cracked up to be. In fact, what seems like an American dream may actually be something of an American nightmare. Interestingly, the psychology that draws us to lotteries is the low-risk factor: While you might win big, your life goes on virtually unchanged if you don't, so there's not a ton to lose. What you might have to lose, at least according to historical precedent, often comes after you win. At least for these people, to whom the following occurred:

RELATED: The One Percent Hangs Out at a Murray Hill Pizza Place


Poverty, after spending all the money on drugs and hookers. This is the sad tale of "Lotto Lout" Michael Carroll, the "self-styled King of Chavs," who "turned up to collect his £9.7million [UK] win wearing an electronic offender's tag." After winning, he used his money on drugs, gambling, and "thousands of prostitutes" only to end up back on the dole after eight years of living the Lotto life. Said Carroll to the Daily Mail, "The party has ended and it's back to reality. I haven't got two pennies to rub together and that's the way I like it. I find it easier to live off £42 dole than a million." He sounds pretty chipper given the details of his story, which involve his wife leaving him and taking their daughter with her, and the loss of £100,000 over eight years in payments to prostitutes, among other rather grave financial mistakes. 

 

Poverty, after excessive gambling. Evelyn Adams won the New Jersey lottery twice, in 1985 and 1986, raking in $5.4 million. "Today the money is all gone and Adams lives in a trailer," writes Ellen Goodstein in a story titled "Unlucky in Riches." Adams said, "I was a big time gambler. I didn't drop a million dollars, but it was a lot of money. I made mistakes, some I regret, some I don't. I'm human. I can't go back now so I just go forward, one step at a time." 

 

Losing friends, fighting among coworkers. Take the case of the Greenwich asset managers who won the $245 million jackpot recently. Whether they were collecting it for a client or not, office lunches are surely a bit uncomfortable nowadays, as are social events with the neighbors who didn't win. 

 

Being looked down on for the winnings. Steve Granger won $900,000 in the West Virginia Lottery in September of 2005, and, after paying the taxes, "put most of it away for his and his wife's retirement," writes Oren Dorell in USA Today. But along with everyone knowing his business, everyone asking for investments, and everyone grabbing at him because he was suddenly considered "lucky," there are the lotto snobs, too. He once heard "someone say in an ugly tone, 'There go those lottery people,' as he and his wife passed by." Ouch.

Ending up in debt for failing to manage the money properly. These tales go on and on. Here are just a few.

 

A descent into crime (and bankruptcy, too). In 1998, William "Bud" Post III won $16.2 million in the Pennsylvania lottery, only to later wish it had never happened. That's because his brother hired a hit man to try to kill him and his sixth wife (and was arrested for doing so), other relatives made him invest in businesses that never paid off, a landlady made him give her a third of his winnings, and Post "spent time in jail for firing a gun over the head of a bill collector." He declared bankruptcy and, in 2006, at the age of, 66, "died of respiratory failure... at a Pittsburgh area hospital," writes Patricia Sullivan in The Washington Post. Then there's Victoria Zell, who won an $11 million Powerball jackpot with her husband in 2001, only to end up in Minnesota prison after being convicted of a drug- and alcohol-induced collision that killed one and paralyzed another. "This just goes to show you winning the Powerball doesn't guarantee you happiness," said County Attorney Amy Klobuchar. 

 

Ending up murdered. Abraham Shakespeare won the $31 million jackpot in Florida in 2006. He disappeared in 2009, having spent most of his fortune; his body was found in early 2010 under a concrete slab. John Campanelli writes in The Plain Dealer, "A woman who had befriended him -- and fleeced him for $1.8 million, say police -- has been charged in connection with his murder." Campanelli goes on to list 9 other unfortunate lotto cases, including the sad tales of Willie Hurt, who killed a woman over crack cocaine, and Callie Rogers, who won $3 million at the age of 16 in the UK lottery, and used her money on "vacations, cars, gifts, drugs and even breast implants." Rogers was broke by 2009, "driving a used Volkswagen Golf to her job as a maid and had twice attempted suicide."

 

Suicide. In June of 1997, a man named Billie Bob Harrell Jr. took the $31 million Texas Lottery jackpot. At first, all was great: "Harrell purchased a ranch. He bought a half-dozen homes for himself and other family members. He, his wife and all the kids got new automobiles. He made large contributions to his church. If members of the congregation needed help, Billie Bob was there with cash," writes Steve McVicker in The Houston Press. "Then suddenly Harrell discovered that his life was unraveling almost as quickly as it had come together.... everyone, it seemed -- family, friends, fellow worshipers and strangers -- was putting the touch on him. His spending and his lending spiraled out of control. In February those tensions splintered his already strained marriage." And tragically, 20 months after winning the lottery, Harrell committed suicide. 

 

Everything terrible happens that possibly can. Jack Whittaker of West Virginia was an already wealthy businessman when he won what was at the time the largest jackpot ever by a single ticket, garnering him $314.9 million on December 25, 2002. A chain of awful events followed, including his car being broken into twice, first with $545,000 in cash stolen, then later with $200,000 stolen (and later recovered); a plot was revealed in which two club employees were charged with a plot to drug his drinks and rob him; his granddaughter's boyfriend was found dead in his home from an overdose; his granddaughter was found dead at a male friend's house after being reported missing (the death was ruled an overdose); Whittaker had a DUI; Whittaker was sued by Caesars Atlantic City casino for bouncing $1.5 million worth in checks to cover gambling losses; Whittaker was sued by a woman who had previously sued him for not paying her money (he claimed thieves had stolen it all from him); and Whittaker's daughter was found dead. "I wish I'd torn that ticket up," Whittaker has said.

 

Being mocked for being too old to ruin your life if you win the lottery. See "Old Man Wins Lottery, May Possibly Live Happily Ever After."

I really dont understand stories like these...of course there are gonna be some cases where stupid people win the lotto and do stupid things.
And do you really think I give a crap if some peasant points and says look at that lottery person??lol
  

niether do i. its obvious these cats were doing it wrong. if i won, the FIRST thing i'd do if i won is get my parents and bro and sis the next flight outta here. Once i get the bread, i'll make sure they good. Next, ill break some off to my peoples who been there for me, and nobody will hear from me again cuz my @%# will relocate somewhere else

 

[sloane kettering]

Originally Posted by SonOfTony

Originally Posted by ToneLow

Originally Posted by hongcouver604

You all are chasing dumb dreams 

.

I really dont understand stories like these...of course there are gonna be some cases where stupid people win the lotto and do stupid things.
And do you really think I give a crap if some peasant points and says look at that lottery person??lol
  

niether do i. its obvious these cats were doing it wrong. if i won, the FIRST thing i'd do if i won is get my parents and bro and sis the next flight outta here. Once i get the bread, i'll make sure they good. Next, ill break some off to my peoples who been there for me, and nobody will hear from me again cuz my @%# will relocate somewhere else

Pretty much, gotta have a plan...yours sounded very similar to mine

 

[katiejade4]

I heard on the news today that 90% of lottery winners go broke within a few years of winning.

If anyone in here wins, make sure you hire a lawyer and financial advisor and don't go ballin' out too crazy!

 

[soversotowel]

i put up with my office,aint eem expecting to win .

 

[tr1ll]

Originally Posted by Kingtre

Originally Posted by Tr1ll

Originally Posted by derrty6232

Didn't some florida/dade county dude hit the lotto (not sure the amount) some time recently and went missing ??  Just something my friend told me the other week.
 

http://abcnews.go.com/Nig...killing/story?id=9733226

Illuminati..

u still trolling this thread? how many tickets you cop?

Lol copped 5 yesterday, gonna get 20 more when I get off from work today.

 

[Bert.]

Originally Posted by KatieJade4

I heard on the news today that 90% of lottery winners go broke within a few years of winning.

If anyone in here wins, make sure you hire a lawyer and financial advisor and don't go ballin' out too crazy!

wont happen with me SRS and i can put money on that.

 

[pharelfor3]

this is why you go the yearly amount instead of lumop sum.That way if you ball out, at worst you will be brok for a year.

 

[joe billionaire]

Originally Posted by Zyzz

Originally Posted by KatieJade4

I heard on the news today that 90% of lottery winners go broke within a few years of winning.

If anyone in here wins, make sure you hire a lawyer and financial advisor and don't go ballin' out too crazy!

wont happen with me SRS and i can put money on that.

because everyone starts handing out millions or 10s of thousands to family and friends willy nilly
let it sit for a while and then when you have some business or some other sort of income then start breaking bread...once you give someone a milly, they'll be knocking on your door for a other 5 in a year...or every visit will be money related 

 

[big j 33]

Most lottery winners also don't win a few hundred million

Yeah, there's cases of huge jackpot winners having problems, but those going broke will most likely be people winning 5 million and spending like they won 100 million. Winning a small jackpot can go quickly, taxes, homes, cars, friends, family, etc. If you blow through 380 million or whatever the cash payout is, even after taxes? That's damn impressive.

The biggest problem would be your life and your family's life would be radically changed if everyone knew you won. There's a lot of crazy people out there, so no telling how people will act if they find out you just won a few hundred million dollars.

 

[katiejade4]

I called my mom and told her I bought a few tickets for the mega millions and she said "oh good! You're lucky, you might end up winning something."

When I was 5 I won an Easter basket at a local convenience store raffle. That's the one and only time I ever won anything and my mother thinks I'm like this incredibly lucky person

 

[Bert.]

Originally Posted by KatieJade4

I called my mom and told her I bought a few tickets for the mega millions and she said "oh good! You're lucky, you might end up winning something."

When I was 5 I won an Easter basket at a local convenience store raffle. That's the one and only time I ever won anything and my mother thinks I'm like this incredibly lucky person

hey ma, dont call me lucky no mo.

 

[mrkane]

this is enough money to kill you

i would hope to remain anonymous if i won that but they they aint lettin that ride

 

[katiejade4]

I think there's gonna be like 3 winners. I can't imagine all of these people buying tickets and there only being one winner. That would be crazy, and a little suspicious.

 

[you big dummy]

bought a few yesterday, but considering buying more


Chris Singleton of the Washington Wizards just bought 10,000 tickets

 

[wraith aka invincible]

my recession is over

 

[mrbrown]

Im in going now

brb

 

[socluis90]

damn someone is gonna win it today. all winning combos have been sold for sure. for all of us with tickets, that person could be us

 

[katiejade4]

Originally Posted by you big dummy

bought a few yesterday, but considering buying more


Chris Singleton of the Washington Wizards just bought 10,000 tickets

That makes me *#$@+%$ sick. How greedy can you be? Like, you're already in the league, playing the game you love, making millions, and yet you want more. 
I hope he wins.

 

[regal black]

participated in an office pool, bought like 200 tickets lol

 

[ill legal operation]

Originally Posted by thejrob

Not gonna buy any tickets. I'd rather buy a dutch...

good luck though

That buck that bought a bottle coulda struck the lotto...

 

[solegit08til]

If you know somebody in Illinois, you can buy a ticket online at myillinoislottery.

Got my numbers in. All it takes is 1

You gotta put their address.

If I win, best believe I'm doin a buck 50 straight through the night. Get there in record time. 

 

[hankmoody]

Originally Posted by Kingtre

swarms of college kids at the lotto counter trying to figure out how to fill out the slips at this store i just went to 

Not in college but that was just me. First time I've ever bought a lottery ticket (bought $5 worth). I had no clue what I was doing. Just went random.  I wouldn't have even bought them if my Grandma hadn't called. She made it sound so serious. She wouldn't even tell me how many tickets she bought. This is what happens when you give SSI to old people with negligible bills and expenses. 

 

[fedexciter]

Originally Posted by KatieJade4

I heard on the news today that 90% of lottery winners go broke within a few years of winning.

If anyone in here wins, make sure you hire a lawyer and financial advisor and don't go ballin' out too crazy!

nobody has ever won 640mil though

I think the 90% is mostly in the 1-20 mil bracket, I can easily see someone going broke off of that

 

[wallyhopp]

I have never filled out a form... Quick Picks for life.

i do know some serious addicts who spend a quality hour filling out numbers.

 

[DYNAMICS]

I didn't know Canadians were allowed to enter until now.