Not every Powerball winner story has a happy ending. These Powerball winners went about winning all wrong.
You’re used to getting tips and tricks about what to do when you play and even win Powerball. But there are some stories of Powerball winners who, as it seems, didn’t take any advice at all. And in the end, going about it all wrong doomed them. Here are a few of those cautionary tales. Hopefully, they inspire you to avoid making similar mistakes.
1. Jack Whittaker Wished He Had Never Won the Powerball Jackpot
One of the most notorious Powerball-winner horror stories is the tale of Jack Whittaker. The West Virginian had already won a life-changing $17 million when he won, yet again. The second jackpot was worth $319.9 million as part of the multi-state Powerball jackpot back in 2002. Unfortunately for Whittaker, his luck ran out soon after.
Whittaker immediately began sharing his wealth with family and friends. And he made lavish purchases, too. But the lucky streak took a turn for the worse, and terrible things began happening for him. At one point, he had hundreds of thousands of dollars stolen from his expensive cars. He was the victim of home and office robberies, as well.
2. Cash Blown in Less Than a Year
Michael Carroll started living large and in charge after winning $15 million. Not realizing that he was going about winning the jackpot all wrong, Carroll went on a self-indulgent spending spree. When you can’t wrap your head around being a millionaire, it means you can’t wrap your head around spending it all away, either. Reports say that Carroll was left with nothing after having spent his newfound fortune swiftly on parties, illegal activities, and new cars. He was broke within a year.
3. Don’t Forget to Insure Your Expensive Purchases
Another story reminds any Powerball players to consider plans for insurance. Buying up expensive things and real estate is fine. But not financially preparing for acts of nature could ruin you like it did Roger and Lara Griffiths. Their $2.76 million fortune helped fund exotic trips, and a million-dollar home/barn turned mansion. Unfortunately, about five years later, the Griffiths experienced a freak fire that tore through their lavish home. To their dismay, they realized the property had been underinsured, meaning they had come up with the cash for temporary living arrangements, repairs, and replacements, wiping out their remaining winnings.
4. Avoid Gambling Away Your Fortune in Atlantic City
In another story of a lucky jackpot winner picking the right number not once but twice, Evelyn Adams should have learned her lesson. The New Jersey native took home $5.4 million and immediately became the go-to for financial assistance within her circles. To escape the barrage, she started going to Atlantic City. It wasn’t long before the special treatment and excitement of the casino life overtook her. Reports say she gambled away all of her winnings.
5. You Can’t Divorce and Keep the Winnings to Yourself
Another instance of jackpot winners going about it all wrong involves California natives Denise and Thomas Rossi. Denise, unbeknownst to her husband, became the lucky winner of $1.3 million. But her greed overtook her, and she tried to keep the win to herself. Abruptly, according to reports, she demanded and filed for divorce and kept her million-dollar secret to herself throughout the proceedings. It was two years later that her secret was revealed when Thomas discovered through the mail, she had deceived him. The karma bus hit hard in court when a judge awarded Thomas every penny of the winning jackpot.
Try to avoid these pitfalls when you become a Powerball winner. You can learn from the mistakes of other winners who went about it all wrong.