Ever dream of winning the lottery? The golden ticket holders on this list might convince you otherwise. Most of them either regret winning the jackpot, or admit it made their lives hell. Let them show you what the lottery could make you lose.
10. Callie Rogers
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Callie Rogers won £1.9 million (about $3 million at the time) in a UK lottery. The ecstatic 16-year-old spent her winnings on vacations, homes, shopping, friends, and even a couple of breast improvements.
Six years later, Rogers is a 22-year-old single mother of two. She now works as a maid to sustain herself and her family. She is paying off debt induced by her spending. Today, she has this to say about her winnings:
My life is a shambles and hopefully now it has all gone I can find some happiness. It’s brought me nothing but unhappiness. It’s ruined my life.
9. The Roby Brigade
The day before Thanksgiving, 1996, a group of 43 farmers from Roby, TX pooled their money to buy 430 lottery tickets. The next day, they won a $46 million prize. Roby, a town of only 600 inhabitants, was suddenly full of millionaires.
In an ideal world, those winning would have saved Roby, a floundering cotton farming town facing severe drought. But that didn’t happen.
Many winners used their jackpots–$1.085,162 total, or $39,000/year–for practical uses, like starting college funds, paying off loans, or buying new pickup trucks, according to the September 2004 issue of Texas Monthly.
Though “the town’s farmers could finally breathe a sigh of relief,” few prospered from their winnings. Most winners cut deals with lottery buyout brokers, who gave them cash upfront in exchange for future annual payments, writes Pamela Colloff, author of the Texas Monthly article. In the end, she says, that left them with roughly 1/3 of their original winnings. Bad business ventures and a plague of untimely bad luck didn’t help.
Years later, Roby remains a dying town. “For all the trouble the lottery brought on me, I don’t know whether to be happy I won or sorry I didn’t,” said Lance Green, the town’s mayor at the time.
8. Ken Proxmire
Ken Proxmire, a tool grinder from Michigan, won $1 million in the 1977 Michigan Lottery. Proxmire used his winnings to indulge his inner entrepreneur. He moved to California to open a chain of sporting goods stores.
Several years later, his business went under. $100,000 in debt, Proxmire filed for bankruptcy. His wife left him at that time, too, according to this Time Magazine article. Since his business failure, tax payments and bankruptcy settlements have gobbled up most of his annual winnings.
7. William “Bud” Post
When William “Bud” Post won $16.2 million in a 1988 lottery, one of the first things he did was try to please his family, according to this Bankrate article.
Unfortunately, his kin was of the unfriendly sort. Post’s brother hired a hit man to kill him, hoping to inherit some money. Other family members persuaded him to invest in two businesses that ultimately failed. Post’s ex-girlfriend sued him for some of the winnings. Post himself was thrown in jail for firing a gun at a bill collector.
Over time, Post accumulated so much debt that he had to declare bankruptcy. He now relies on Social Security for income. “Lotteries don’t mean (anything) to me,” he is quoted as saying—after he lost all his money.
6. Janite Lee
Janite Lee, a St. Louis wig shop owner, won $18 million in 1993. The 52-year-old then went on a philanthropic binge that lost her everything. Besides the usual million-dollar house and cars, Lee reportedly donated more than $1 million to Washington University, where her namesake reading room commemorates the occasion. She reportedly donated $277,000 to Democratic political candidates, earning herself meals with Bill Clinton, Al Gore, and even the President of South Korea.
She didn’t stop there. $30,000 went to the family of a South Korean church pastor who passed away. The St. Louis Korean American Association received a house from her. Another Korean adoption-related association also benefited.
Lee’s philanthropy was expensive. But combined with her gambling habit—she lost $347,000 in a single year—bank loans, and credit card debt, it harkened disaster. She filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2001.
5. Luke Pittard
Welshman Luke Pittard won £1.3 million in a 2006 UK lottery play. He spent a portion of his prize money on a Canary Islands holiday, a wedding, and new house.
After only 18 months, however, Pittard felt bored. Early retirement didn’t suit him. So he returned to his previous job—at a Cardiff, Wales McDonald’s restaurant. Back among burgers, he feels much happier, despite the fact that his winnings interest makes him more than his restaurant wage.
Though Pittard didn’t lose all his winnings, his unique choice of post-lottery employment earns him a spot on this list.
4. Willie Hurt
Willie Hurt won $3.1 million in the 1989 Michigan Lottery. Within two years, this former family man found his life in shambles. He divorced his wife, lost custody of his kids, and spent his remaining money on crack cocaine. An attempted murder charge tops off Hurt’s world of lotto-induced pain.
3. Suzanne Mullins
In 1993, Suzanne Mullins won $4.2 million in the lottery. She later borrowed almost $198,000 from a lending company, using her lotto winnings as colateral, according to this Bankrate article. But she never paid the company back. They later sued her for the missing amount.
Mullins claimed that her son-in-law’s long illness produced $1 million in medical bills, aggravating the debt situation. Mullins apparently has no assets left to pay off her debt.
2. Jack Whittaker
55-year-old Jack Whittaker ran a successful contracting company in West Virginia when he won a $315 million Powerball jackpot. At the time, it was the biggest amount ever won by a single ticket.
Whittaker, who already had a net worth of $17 million, received a $114 million check after taxes. He gave money to Christian charities and a personal foundation supporting low-income families.
Whittaker did some good, but his bad deeds make his story. He was arrested twice, once for drunk driving and once for threatening a bar manager followed. A woman sued him after he groped her at a dog racetrack. Thieves took $545,000 in cash from Whittaker’s car while he was visiting a strip club. About a year later, thieves again stole $200,000 from his car. Caesars Atlantic City sued him for bouncing $1.5 million in checks. His wife divorced him.
Then, there were the dead bodies. In 2003, Whittaker’s granddaughter’s boyfriend was found dead of an overdose inside Whittaker’s home. His 17-year-old granddaughter, whom he had been giving a $2,100 weekly allowance, fatally overdosed months later, at a different location. His daughter—mother of the dead granddaughter—died this year of as-yet-undetermined causes.
In this messiest of lotto stories, nobody seems to have won.
1. Billy Bob Harrell
In 1997, Home Depot stocker Billie Bob Harrell, Jr. won a $31 million Texas jackpot. To the former Pentecostal preacher, $1.24 million per year was a gift from heaven.
He bought a ranch, six homes for himself and family, and a bunch of new cars. After the initial glory subsided, however, Harrell found himself losing and loaning money at an alarming rate. Like many winners, he had trouble saying no to those who ask for his funds.
As a result, Harrell’s life became too stressful to handle. He divorced his wife. Less than two years after hitting paydirt, he committed suicide. “Winning the lottery is the worst thing that ever happened to me,” he is quoted as saying shortly before his suicide.
Some sad stories there but Im sure there are also more happy ones than sad, I would love the chance to find out whether money would make me happy or sad, I am a believer in the saying “Money, if it does not bring you happiness, will at least help you be miserable in comfort.” LOL!
This is really too bad. But I want to win some money however
First thing to too is always put as least half of the money to your bank.. and do not never touch it. Never never never. It is for pension. With the rest you can do what you want. But only spend as much as you got
This isn’t an article warning against winning the lottery. It’s warning against being a fucking moron. Makes sense since those who play the lottery tend to be the less responsible of us.
5. Luke Pittard doesn’t belong on this list. The fact that he chooses to make a living and saves his money instead makes him a smart guy.
I don’t see the point of Luke Pittard being at number 5 let alone being on this list. But assuming we’re assigning a score for patheticness, he should’ve been ranked least pathetic at number 10.
He has his money and he’s doing what he wants. At least he’s making more money unlike some of the other chumps who invested in businesses and lost it all.
I agree with technopop.
#5 sounds like something I would do. You already have enough money to live off of, but you’ll end up bored if you don’t do anything, and possibly get into trouble (like many of the other sad stories listed) — Although I’m not sure I would pick to work at a fast food restaurant, I would take a relaxing job even if the pay wasn’t good.
Why Suzanne Mullins didn’t try out her luck at state lotteries again?
More interesting than the article are all the comments about how the US lotteries works. If I win the lottery I expect the whole sum, minus taxes, paid to me fully on the same day. No 20 year bullshit. No only 2/3 on the same day. I cant believe people have accepted that.
All these people are examples of what happens when morons win the lottery. It makes me sick when people with no self control or an IQ lower then a dog’s win the lotto. F*&K all these a-holes!
Pretty interesting, and I agree that #5 should be called out as a good example.
Of course if you think of the majority of people who play the lottery, it’s not too surprising. Some people play it for fun or just “what if,” but a lot of people play it because they think it’s the way out of their situation (as opposed to just working hard).
I agree: #5 shouldn’t be on this list.
web: Obviously you don’t know how an ANNUITY works.
Come on if these people would only realize how long your life span is and you will need the money more later in life for health care and nursing maybe they would have invested slowed down and lived off the interest instead of blowing the money.
Haha!!!! These are awesome!! The winning isn’t the curse, their ignorance is! Outstanding!
Losers will always be losers
Even when the universe gives them a major break, they’ll still be losers.
You can never make a winner out of a loser.
These people were living way beyond their means. If you wing 3.1 million, and you only receive a million after taxes that’s not a lot of money. I would buy myself a regular home and car. Still keep my job.
What you do is, after you pay off your debts such as your mortgage and/or buy a house, you immediately put your assets into a trust fund that is on autopilot, outside your control. It puts its money into safe, government bonds, giving you a reasonable middle class income with no work and no risk, but with no extra money for moochers.
$1 million left after paying debts or buying a house is the magic number. With that invested in 5% bonds, you get $50,000 a year to live on. With no mortgage and no car note hanging over your head, that’s plenty to get by on, but not enough to attract handout-seekers.
When Harry Hardluck and Sally Sobstory come around, you can honestly tell them you sympathize but there’s nothing you can do.
Wow, this actually makes me worried about what I would do if I won. Would I be able to control myself? Scary….
I agree with Andrew its a scary thought u kno. Would your friends and family envy u even wen ur looking out fa dem? My biggest worry is getting set up by someone u call ya friend cause money makes people do sum f**ked up sh*t I senn it myself.
These are pathetic and provoking stories of people i think should be the world leading men and women in our business world…if only they could see far,with the lottery.
Wow this is crazy. These stories don’t even make me want to enter the lottery. I’m doing a report for school about people winning the lottery and the only things I can find are about people winning and later commiting suicide! Remember, “The love of money is the root of all evil.”
@ JOE…SO TRUE, YOU CAN NEVER MAKE A LOOSER OUT OF A WINNER. I HAVE WHITNESS THIS TO BE TRUE. IT SEEMS AS IF THE PEOPLE WHO NEED THE MONEY AND WILL KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT, NEVER GET THE CHANCE. OR MAYBE “WE” CHOOSE TO PAY OUR BILLS AND SAVE OUR MONEYNINSTEAD OF BUYING LOTTERY TICKETS….IDK…WHAT DO U THINK….
I read a more detailed history on #2 and the guy should had more sense than he did. He was already a millionaire yet he did crazy things and kept loads of cash in his vehicle, why i don’t understand.
There was a lottery winner in Lakeland Florida that ended up buried behind a house owned by a woman that had befriended him and then proceeded to take his money and house away from him. She’s presently waiting trial.
There’s a price to pay for everything. That’s just life. We all know that winning the lottery has it’s downsides to come with it, but at least you’ll have MONEY.
Oh yes, I’d much rather be unemployed and broke right now then winning that horrible lottery money and having to deal with a few jerks here and there along the way. If I have to live in a gated community, then fine. I’ll do it. I’ll put up a God dammed mote if I have to. I don’t have friends anyway, and at the age of 22 I’m still single. So there’s nothing to lose. As long as I’m not a fucking idiot about handling my money (brotip, hire an accountant), then I’ll be fine.
#5 actually strikes me as pretty sensible. He did an initial, reasonable splurge with vacation and a house, then settled into a job that, while not something most millionaires would choose, nevertheless makes him happy.
Luke Pittard doesn’t belong anywhere on this list. In fact, he’s the complete opposite of these other losers. The lottery didn’t ruin their lives, stupidity did. He appears to have managed his money responsibly and reasonably, and is happy doing what he enjoys in order to stay busy. The attitude that a lotto winner has to quit working and start screwing off full time is what got the other nine in trouble. Kudos to Luke for having his head on straight. The rest of them just failed to manage their money properly and they aren’t much different from all the idiots across this country who got home loans they obviously couldn’t afford and put the country into the real estate crisis. These people were just able to do it with bigger houses….
For Andrew and Howard, who think it scary to win big money: I wish someone would scare the hell out of me….
If you are an artist and you have a project, you will invert your money in your art. But if you are not a an artist…
These people that won the lottery are fucking idiots. They are what’s wrong with the world. Winning the lottery is a gift and they took advantage of it. Just because you have money doesn’t mean you need 6 cars. That just takes more money for the upkeep. If you manage your money and you don’t waste it on crack and gambling you should be fine. Why the fuck would you gamble with your lottery winnings? How selfish can you be. Keep playing and winning losers that don’t deserve it. They get theirs in the end.
THATS SAD WHAT HAPPENED TO THOSE FOKES I THINK IT WAS SOMETHING ELSE REALLY MISSING IN THERE LIFE ,I THINK THE LORD WAS MISSING .WHEN THEY GOT THAT MONEY THEY TRIED TO DO GOOD BUT BAD WAS STILL LERKING AROUND THEM AND THEY SHOULD OF SEEKED GOD MORE AND MORE. I WOULD LOVE THE CHANCE TO WIN A LOT OF MONEY LIKE THAT I REALLY THINK I COULD MANAGE BECAUSE THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD.BUT EVEN BEFORE I REALLY KNEW THE LORD IF I HAD WON LIKE THAT I THINK I WOULD HAVE MESSED UP TO SO I REALLY FEEL FOR THEM AND THERE FAMILY’S MAY GOD BLESS THEM
well, this is an example of people that have money spening isues one who wins a lottery for millions need to be smart with it not just blow it like there life is going to be over soon most people get into drugs for something to do just because they have the money for it its not the lotto that destroys your life your the master of your owen destany only you chose what you want to do with your life…… NOT THE LOTTO…. BE SMART:
OK YES BUY A HOUSE BUT WHO REALLY NEEDS 3,4,5,AND 6 HOUSES C’MON THATS JUST CRAZY ONE HOUSE IS ALL YOU NEED AND YES BUY YOURSELF A SMALL BEACH HOUSE OR CONDO SOME WHERE WHERE IT CAN BE YOUR FAVRET PLACE TO BE IN THE SUMMER….. BUY EVERYTHING YOUR GOING TO NEED FOR THE HOMES NOT BEING THE MOST EXPENSIV THINGS LIVE NORMAL AND THE MONEY WILL GO FURTHER OKAY SOOO YOU DONT REALLY NEED A JOB IF YOU WIN THE LOTTO BUT DO SOMETHING OTHER THEN SPEND MONEY JUST BECAUSE YOUR BORED IF YOU HAVE KIDS BE A VOLINTER AT THERE SCHOOL OR SIT AT HOME AND DO NOTHING ALL DAY OR GET YOUR GIRL FRIENDS OR GUY FRIENDS TO COMEOVER AND JUST SIMPLY HANG OUT BYE THE POOL OR WATCH A SPORTS GAME ON TV.
BUYING A NEW CAR: OK SO EVERYONE WANTS TO HAVE A BRAND NEW CAR FIRST OWNER OF IT NO BIG DEAL YOU DONT NEED 10 CARS JUST TO RUB IN EVERYONE ELSES FACE THAT YOU WON THE LOTTO IT DOSENT MEAN YOUR THE RICHEST PERSON ALIVE BUY 2 CARS MOST ONE FOR YOU AND ONE FOR YOUR SPOUSE GET THE CAR YOU LOVE THE MOST NOT THE MOST EXPENSIV THOUGH LIKE I WOULD JUST GET A NEW MUSTANG CONVERTABLE KNOWING THEONE IV GOT NOW WONT LAST FOREVER GET ONE THAT CAN BE A SUNDAY CAR AND KEEP THE ONE YOU HAD BEFOR WINNING THE LOTTO AND FIX IT UP OR DO WHAT EVER MAY NEED TO BE DONE WITH IT DONT GET RID OF IT BE SMART..
MSC: OKAY BUY NORMAL EVERYDAY THINGS LIKE CIGGARETS,GAS,DRINKS WHEN YOUR GOING SOME WHERE ALL IS OKAY BUYING A NEW CAMRA TO TAKE ALONG OKAY FINE DONT GET THE HIGHIST PRICE ONE IF YOU EVER THINK ABOUT THIS WINNING THE LOTTO AND CUNTINU LIVEING THE NORMAL EVERYDAY LIFE JUST LIKE EVERONE ELS DOSE INTHIS WORLD EVERY DAY YOUR MONEY WILL LAST A LONG AND I MEAN LONG TIME…. IM 23 YEARS OLD AND SAD TO SAY IM ABLE TO SPEND LESS AT GOOD PRICES THEN MOST PEPOLE IN THIS WORLD MY AGE WHO REALLY NEEDS TO GO TO A SALON AND SPEND HUNDREDS ON GETTING THERE HAIR DONE A WEEK MONEY DOSENT MAKE YOUR LIFE YOU DO……
Why didn’t number 5 franchise the McDonalds?
Some of these responses are a riot!!! I’ve seen ‘Curse of the Lottery’ on TV several times recently, and I keep wondering how did #1 Billie Bob screw up $31 million??? The answer is you can’t fix stupid…. I agree with all who think Luke is a genius. He hasn’t lost anything…in fact, he’s got the best of all worlds–no money problems and work he enjoys. I would love to be in his shoes. And, like Bob, I wish someone would ‘scare the hell out of me.’
i always wanteed to win millions i hope i don’t end up like 9 of these people. i would a house a camaro and atv’s and not much but stuff i want
Some sad stories i am realy woried about my future. And if i ever do win the lotery i would just buy a home never say im rich so i dont get problems help my family and i will still work at a regular job just with no wories and a family i will love till the end
and use alot of money i wont ever use for people who realy need it as long as i can provide for my family for the rest of our lives thats more than enogh and if i dont have a job i wouldent be a snoty rich peron i will spend time helping my comunity instead of showing of no one will ever know im rich
Jack Whittaker is the one that is I will just say SAD. I have read his story before and he went off to alot of strip club’s. Story I read regarding the money stolen at strip club. Jack had a liking for a certain dancer. The dancer and her BF conspired to dose Jack with a knockout drug and steal the cash. Which why would you ever have that kinda cash on your possession? Jack also doted on his granddaughter and she OD’d. You give a 16 year old girl $2100 a week allowance? I mean you are just asking for issue’s with that girl. Irresponsibility lead to alot of these people’s trouble’s. Not winning the lottery. My sister worked as a Nanny for a celebrity couple. They made their kid’s all get job’s as teenager’s and gave them allowances for work. Those kid’s are now grown and have never been in new’s for any trouble.
PERSONALLY I have thought about winning lottery. Say a few million. I would put part of it in a college fund drawing a Fixed rate. I would then offer scholarship’s to family member’s such as first cousin’s children. This way give’s my family namesake’s a chance to get a college education and my family name would become more educated with member’s increasing income and living a better life. In other word’s the lottery winning’s would become a seed and hopefully bear fruit generation’s from now.
I would know exactly what to do with the money with investments as I have studied and have done it ,,, show me the money honey… Rich is the Best Revenge… anne bartee
Luke Pittard is my hero. He’s done what I hope I’d have the sense to do.
lottery dosent change people! There the same as they were before the won just magnafied. Cant blame the lottery. Enough said!
This shit is fucking hilarious. Sucks to those dicks who blew off all their money like asstards.
I’ve heard it’s quite common for people who win the lottery to end up worse off a year or two later than they did before. I would love to think that it was because of the kind of people who play the lottery and that I am not that kind of person, but I think that is just an arrogant way to think.
I like what Kenny said in that the lottery magnifies who you are, not changes you. It also magnifies who those around you are. You will soon know who your real friends are. Another quote I heard is that we are all messed up people trying to get along with other messed up people. Now, what happens when all that “messed-up-ness” gets magnified??? Well, I think the stories here are great examples of just that.
I think its really crazy how blessings can turn out to be curses. I wont say that these people are just dumb people because no one really knows what they would do if they where handed a million dollar check. I’m willing to bet none of the people on this list thought they would make the choices they did. HIND SITE IS ALWAYS 50 50, nevertheless I would still love the chance to find out what i would do. I would like to do what Mr. Holloran said he would do but everything is just talk till the check is handed over. Hopefully more people will read of these “curses” so that my chances of winning will improve