Need a little proof that money doesn’t buy happiness? For these 12 lottery winners, cashing in turned out to have been the worst decision of their lives.
Three public school employees pose behind their check anonymously as they claim their share of a record $656 million Mega Millions jackpot at the Maryland State Lottery headquarters in Baltimore. In November 2012, the Powerball jackpot reached an unimaginable $500 million, the second-biggest jackpot in history behind March’s $656 Mega Millions pot. But winning the lottery can have its pitfalls. Distant relatives and fair-weather friends can come clamoring for their share; spouse can turn on spouse; kidnapping and murder can suddenly become very real threats. And sometimes, the greatest danger to the newly well-off can be the winners themselves. Here are ten cautionary tales of some of the biggest-winning losers in lottery history.
Abraham Shakespeare
Winnings : 30 millions
Time until bust : 3 years
Shakespeare is a fitting last name for this tragic character. Abraham Shakespeare won $30 million in the Florida lottery in 2006. But he disappeared in 2009 after having spent most of the money. In 2010, his body was found under a concrete slab. DeeDee Moore, a woman who said she managed Shakespeare’s assets, was convicted of first-degree murder. She apparently pretended to write a book about people taking advantage of Shakespeare while manipulating him out of many of his assets. Moore was sentenced to life in prison.
Urooj Khan
ILLINOIS LOTTERY / AP
This undated photo provided by the Illinois Lottery shows Urooj Khan,
46, of Chicago’s West Rogers Park neighborhood, posing with a winning lottery ticket.
Winnings: $1 million Time until bust: 1 month
Chicagoan Urooj Khan found out the hard way that the lottery isn’t always a winning game. The 46-year-old had sworn off lottery tickets, save for just one more in June 2012, buying a scratch-off at his local 7-Eleven convenience store. And he wouldn’t need a single ticket more after he revealed a $1 million jackpot on the ticket. Khan chose to cash out the reward in one lump sum instead of installments, waiting for his $425,000 check from the state. The check was issued on July 19, but Khan wouldn’t have the chance to cash it — he was pronounced dead the very next day.
Authorities determined his death was of natural causes due to hardened arteries and didn’t conduct an in-depth autopsy since foul play wasn’t suspected. (At 46, Khan was just a year over the cut-off age of 45, which has since been raised to 50). Examiners did gave Khan a simple toxicology test, the AP reports, which didn’t show any traces of opiates, cocaine or carbon monoxide.
But when a relative pressed for a more thorough autopsy in August, the Medical Examiner’s office conducted an extensive chemical test. The subsequent result came as a shock: Khan had actually ingested cyanide, a lethal poison. Though the bitter white powder, which can kill a person in minutes, is widely known as a poisonous substance, Cook County Medical Examiner Stephen Cina says it’s extremely rare. Cina told the AP he’s only seen two cases of cyanide poisoning in the 4,500 autopsies he’s conducted. Chicago police are now treating the investigation as a homicide though they have not yet revealed if there are any leads in the case. Someone did profit off of Khan’s $425,000, though — his winnings were cashed on August 15, likely by his estate.
Andrew “Jack” Whittaker
JOHN SOMMERS II / REUTERS
Winnings: $315 million Time until bust: 4 years
Whittaker may have been the wealthiest man ever to win a major lottery jackpot. When the 55-year-old West Virginia construction company president won a $315 million Powerball jackpot in December 2002 — at the time, the largest jackpot ever won by a single ticket — he was already worth some $17 million. And Whittaker knew to distribute his new mega-wealth, pledging to give 10 percent of his fortune to Christian charities, donating $14 million to his Jack Whittaker Foundation, and even giving a $123,000 house, a new Dodge Ram Truck, and $50,000 in cash to the woman who worked at the convenience store where he had purchased his winning ticket.
But even Whittaker couldn’t escape his own demons. Beset by legal difficulties and personal problems, he began drinking heavily and frequenting strip clubs. On Aug. 5, 2003, thieves stole $545,000 from his car in a West Virginia strip club parking lot while he was inside. In January 2007, Whittaker reported to the police that thieves had completely emptied his bank accounts. On Jan. 25, 2004, robbers once again broke into his car, stealing an estimated $200,000 in cash that was later recovered. And a string of personal tragedies followed. On Sept. 17, 2004, his granddaughter’s boyfriend was found dead from a drug overdose in Whittaker’s home. Three months later, the granddaughter also died of a drug overdose. Her mother, Ginger Whittaker Bragg, died five years later on July 5, 2009. Whittaker himself is alleged to be broke — a claim he made as early as January 2007 for failing to pay a woman who successfully sued him. He’s also being sued by Caesars Atlantic City casino for bouncing $1.5 million worth of checks to cover gambling losses. “I wish I’d torn that ticket up,” he sobbed to reporters at the time of his daughter’s death.
Billie Bob Harrell, Jr.
Winnings: $31 million Time until bust: 20 months
Billie Bob Harrell, Jr. thought his problems were over when he won the $31 million Texas Lotto jackpot in June 1997. Nearly broke and constantly moving between low-paying jobs, with a wife and three children to support, the first of his $1.24 million annual payouts seemed like the light at the end of the tunnel. Instead, it was the beginning of an annus horribilis for the 47-year-old Texan. It started out joyful: he quit his job at Home Depot, took his family to Hawaii, donated tens of thousands of dollars to his church, bought cars and houses for friends and family, and even donated 480 turkeys to the poor. But his lavish spending attracted unwanted attention, and he had to change his phone number several times after strangers called to demand donations. He also made a bad deal with a company that gives lottery winners lump-sum payments in exchange for their annual checks that left him with far less than what he had won. When Harrell and his wife Barbara Jean separated less than a year later, it was the straw that broke the camel’s back. His son found him dead inside his home from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on May 22, 1999, shortly before he was set to have dinner with his ex-wife. While family members disputed the idea that Harrell could have committed suicide, he clearly wasn’t happy with his life; he’d told a financial adviser shortly before his death that “Winning the lottery is the worst thing that ever happened to me.”
William Post III
Winnings: $16.2 million Time until bust: 3 months
William Post III proved Notorious B.I.G.’s adage true: more money, more problems. After Post won $16.2 million in the Pennsylvania lottery in 1988, he fell victim to crime, bankruptcy, tragedy and simply poor spending habits. In the two weeks after he received his first annual payment of nearly $500,000, he had already blown two-thirds of it, purchasing a restaurant, a used-car lot, and an airplane. His reckless spending continued; within three months, he was $500,000 in debt. But numbers were the least of his problems. According to Yahoo News, Post’s brother was arrested for hiring a hit man to try to kill him and his sixth (yes, sixth) wife; his relatives convinced him to invest in worthless business ventures; and his landlady duped him into handing over a third of his cash. He ultimately filed for bankruptcy, and faced a stint in jail for firing a gun at a bill collector.
“Everybody dreams of winning money, but nobody realizes the nightmares that come out of the woodwork, or the problems,” Post said in 1993, according to the Washington Post.
It seemed unlikely that the windfall could do anything but good for Post, who had already endured a hard-knock childhood in an orphanage and a nomadic young adulthood. According to the Post, he told reporters that he was surviving on disability payments and had a mere $2.46 in his bank account on the day he won millions. Still, the win did little improve his lot in life, and Post allegedly claimed, “I was much happier when I was broke.” Post died of respiratory failure in 2006 at age 66, leaving behind his seventh wife and nine children from his second marriage.
Keith Gough
DAVID JONES / PA WIRE
Winnings: £9 million (about $14 million) Time until bust: 5 years
Keith Gough didn’t squander the majority of his windfall fortune — a group of con men did. After Gough’s wife Louise hit the jackpot in 2005, the family spent their wealth normally: they bought a luxurious new home and Gough rented a $560,000 luxury box to watch his favorite soccer team, Aston Villa. But he began drinking “out of boredom” after quitting his job at a bakery, he told newspapers, and his wife left him in 2007. While being treated in rehab, he met James Prince, a dastardly-named con man who convinced Gough to join him in a series of shady business deals, allowing Prince to tap Gough’s bank account to the tune of $1.1 million. Gough was also renting a $1.6 million house and paying annual salaries to a gardener and a chauffeur. But his riches wouldn’t be enjoyed for long: he died in March 2010 of a heart attack, believed to have been brought on by drinking and stress. At the time of his death he still had nearly $1.3 million in the bank.
Le rêve planétaire de Céline Dion mars 30, 2015 La une du cahier des Arts et spectacle de La Presse, le 31 mars 1990. PHOTOMONTAGE LA PRESSE par Alain de Repentigny La Presse - Le lendemain de son 22e anniversaire, le 31 mars 1990, Céline Dion pose en camisole…
La menace d'un méga tremblement de terre plane sur le monde août 9, 2012 Pour le scientifique écossais Iain Stewart, ce n'est qu'une question de temps avant qu'un immense tremblement de terre frappe une grande ville et provoque des dégâts "sans précédent dans l'histoire humaine". 7sur7.be - Hier, à Brisbane, le géologue et universitaire…
Top 15 Celebrities With Big Butt juin 25, 2013 One might say big b*tts are the new black in Hollywood. A big backside, like the ones belonging to Jennifer Lopez, Beyonce or Kim Kardashian, could help fight diabetes, say top Harvard Medical School researchers. The increasing popularity and megastar…
DIDDY CRUSHES JAY-Z & DR. DRE ON FORBES' TOP 5 "WEALTHIEST HIP-HOP ARTISTS" LIST mai 4, 2013 Renowned financial publication Forbes is once again going to ignite widespread debate with the new release of its "The Forbes Five: Hip-Hop's Wealthiest Artists" list(2013). While rap mogul Dr. Dre is known for his Beats By Dre headphones ventures, he fell behind fellow hip-hop veterans Jay-Z and Diddy…
Nelson Mandela: the freedom fighter who embraced his enemies décembre 12, 2013 John Carlin knew Mandela in the tumultuous years just after his release. Here he tells of the private meetings that proved he was a master at winning over even the most implacable opponents. John Carlin The Observer, Saturday 7 December…
Top 10 Most Racist Countries in the World décembre 5, 2013 by Dimple Negi James Teal, at the Washington D.C. rally for Trayvon Martin, calls the U.S. one of the 'most racist countries in the world.' Racism is an extreme form of xenophobia. Contrary to the popular belief race is not…
Haiti’s Samyr Laine plans to “Rise to the Occasion” at the London 2012 Olympics juillet 9, 2012 Editor's note : A while back, we showcased Pascale Delaunay as a US born Olympian who made the choice to represent Haiti and help shed some positive light on our much maligned nation. Now comes word that another US born…
Obama Expected To Travel To South Africa For Nelson Mandela Funeral décembre 6, 2013 President Barack Obama will likely travel to South Africa to mourn the passing of former South African President Nelson Mandela, a White House official told ABC News on Thursday.Huffington Post - Counting himself among the millions influenced by Nelson Mandela,…
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West Buy $11M Mansion for Growing Family janvier 9, 2013 Kim and Kanye's new home ... before the renovations. (Zillow.com)Welcome to Kasa Kim and Kanye! A source confirms to omg! that parents-to-be Kim Kardashian and Kanye West have plunked down $11 million for a sprawling mansion in gated Bel Air,…
Economie : GM devrait redevenir numéro un mondial mars 22, 2012 GM devrait redevenir numéro un mondial Le géant automobile américain General Motors a annoncé jeudi avoir vendu 9,03 millions de véhicules dans le monde l'an dernier, ce qui devrait lui permettre de retrouver sa place de numéro…
Mayweather deviendra le sportif le mieux payé de l'histoire avril 2, 2015 Agence France-Presse LOS ANGELES L'Américain Floyd Mayweather va devenir en 2015 le sportif le mieux payé sur une année grâce à son combat très attendu contre le Philippin Manny Pacquiao, a calculé jeudi le magazine économiqueForbes. Mayweather, surnommé entre autres…
L'EI (ISIS) amasse 80 millions par mois décembre 9, 2015 L'EI tire environ 43 % du pétrole et du gaz, un secteur affaibli par les bombardements de la coalition internationale antidjihadistes et de la Russie. Agence France-Presse BEYROUTH, Liban Le groupe armé État islamique (ISIS) engrange 80 millions de dollars de…
Loterie : Gros lot record de $640 millions aux États-Unis mars 31, 2012 Certains détaillants voyaient les files d'attente enfler à vue d'oeil devant le pas de leur porte à New York ou Washington, grossies par des hordes de joueurs ravis de sortir un dollar -le prix d'un ticket- qui pourrait les rendre…
Paris a accueilli 29 millions de touristes en 2012 mars 2, 2013 Paris a connu une fréquentation hôtelière record en 2012 et a accueilli environ 29 millions de touristes, Américains et Britanniques en tête des visiteurs étrangers, a annoncé jeudi l'Office du tourisme de la capitale française. L'année 2012 a enregistré…
Baltimore: beaucoup d'Afro-Américains se méfient de la police avril 29, 2015 Agence France-Presse BALTIMORE Pierre Estep avait 16 ans quand un policier de Baltimore l'a mis en joue en plein visage, ce qui ne l'a pas vraiment incité à aimer les forces de l'ordre. «Je pourrais vous en dire beaucoup d'autres…
Le Gouvernement Secret et la connexion extraterrestre ( 2eme partie) mai 16, 2013 Hon. Paul Hellyer,ancien ministre de la défense du Canada Note de la rédaction : En publiant un texte d'une pareille gravité, l'éditeur de ce site n'entend,par ainsi, ni confirmer ni infirmer la these soutenue par l'auteur, concernant la possible présence…
La France en guerre : plus de 120 morts dans au moins 7 fusillades à Paris novembre 13, 2015 Vue de la rue de Charonne a Paris.Photos AFP/SIPA Alerte - Plus de sept fusillades ont éclaté ce vendredi soir en plein coeur de Paris. D'après un dernier bilan, au moins 118 morts sont à déplorer et 60 blessés.…
Haiti sees big money reviving flagging tourism juillet 11, 2013 Royal Oasis Hotel, Petionville ASSOCIATED PRESS MONTROUIS, Haiti -- The Club Indigo beach resort north of the Haiti capital was crowded with U.N. peacekeepers, aid workers, diplomats and missionaries on a recent Sunday. But the only real, live tourists seemed to…
The Fabulous Life Of Michael Jordan: How The Best Player Ever Spends His $650 Million avril 30, 2013 Sources : Business Insider,Bleacher Report A decade after he retired, Michael Jordan is still one of the most important people in sports. He owns an NBA team, has his own Nike brand, and continues to make headlines whenever he says anything interesting. When he retired, he…
History : Black passengers of the Titanic are largely forgotten avril 14, 2012 Haitian man Joseph Laroche and family in Paris. He was one of the only black passengers on the Titanic. (Family photo) by Dawn Turner Trice In preparing his 1997 movie"Titanic" for 3-D, James Cameron reportedly reshot a scene because an astronomer told him…
USA : Three school workers — not Mirlande Wilson — actually won the Mega Millions avril 13, 2012 REUTERS/JOSE LUIS MAGANA An elementary school teacher, a special education teacher and another public school worker in Maryland shared one of three winning tickets for the record $656 million Mega Millions jackpot, Maryland Lottery officials announced on Tuesday.…
NYC Councilman Jumaane D. WILLIAMS' STATEMENT ON ACQUITTAL OF OFFICER IN FREDDIE GRAY CASE mai 23, 2016 BROOKLYN, NY- New York City Council Member Jumaane D. Williams, Deputy Leader and co-chair of the Council's Gun Violence Taskforce, issued the following statement in response to the acquittal of Baltimore Police Officer Edward Nero of all counts for his role in…
Le Baltimore de Saint Marc remporte le Super 8 novembre 19, 2013 Le Baltimore SC remporte la 8e édition du Super 8* en battant le Racing club haïtien (5-4 tirs au but) le dimanche 17 novembre au Stade Sylvio Cator. Son défenseur central, Ricardo Adé est désigné meilleur joueur de la compétition.Par Robens…
Elle gagne un million, le vendeur tente de lui voler son ticket août 2, 2012 Un vendeur malveillant a tenté d'empocher les gains d'une vieille dame qui venait de remporter un million à l'EuroMillions après lui avoir indiqué qu'elle n'avait rien gagné. Maureen Holt s'était rendue dans la pompe à essence Best-One à Oldham près…
Haiti aiming to plant 1.2 million trees in a single day avril 30, 2013 In this picture taken March 21, homes painted in bright colors cover a hill in Jalousie, a cinder-block shantytown in Petionville, Haiti. Dieu Nalio Chery/AP By Rashmee Roshan Lall | Christian Science Monitor Haiti, one of the world’s most deforested countries, launches…
How the GOP Could Steal the 2012 Election: Corporate Vote Theft and the Future of American Democracy octobre 28, 2012 by Bob Fitrakis and Harvey WassermanThe Republican Party could steal the 2012 US Presidential election with relative ease.Four major factors make it possible: the continued existence of the Electoral College, the systematic disenfranchisement of millions of American voters over the…
Obamacare à l'heure de vérité avril 1, 2014 L'objectif initial, fixé à sept millions d'inscrits au 31 mars par l'exécutif américain, était même presque en passe d'être atteint au cours d'une dernière journée animée lundi. Agence France-Presse Washington Des centaines de milliers d'Américains se sont précipités pour…
L'immigration, facteur clé dans la renaissance de New York avril 13, 2014 Agence France-Presse New York Les immigrants venus s'installer à New York ces 40 dernière années ont été un facteur clé dans la renaissance de la ville qu'ils ont rendue «plus sûre, accessible et attractive», rapporte une étude. «Les données sont…
Une famille norvégienne gagne trois fois à la loto septembre 29, 2012 Un bonheur n'arrive jamais seul, surtout pour cette famille norvégienne qui, fait extraordinaire, a remporté trois fois des sommes astronomiques à la loterie nationale en l'espace de quelques années.AFP - Le week-end dernier, Tord Oksnes est devenu millionnaire à l'âge…
Apple annonce avoir vendu plus de cinq millions d'iPhone 5 ... septembre 25, 2012 Apple a annoncé lundi avoir vendu plus de 5 millions de son nouveau téléphone iPhone 5, lancé vendredi dans neuf pays, précisant que la demande avait dépassé les stocks initiaux.«La demande pour l'iPhone 5 a été incroyable», a commenté le…
Lauryn Hill Going to Prison Despite Settling $900K Tax Debt mai 7, 2013 Lauryn Hill arrives at the courthouse for sentencing / Photo by Getty ImagesNewly Sony-signed singer could have done three yearsLauryn Hill has been sentenced to three months in prison, to be followed by three months of home confinement, despite having…
Bridgeport, Ct : City Highlights avril 16, 2014 Mayor Bill Finch 4/26/2014 - Bridgeport Earth Day Expo April 26 Join us on April 26 at Fairchild Wheeler Interdistrict Magnet School from 10 AM to 1 PM for a celebration of Earth Day! There will be opportunities to…
33 millions dollars US pour la reconstruction du Palais législatif janvier 3, 2013 C’est sur la place d’Italie, au Bicentenaire qu’a eu lieu la cérémonie de pose de la première pierre du Palais législatif, le jeudi 27 décembre 2012. 33 millions de dollars américains est la somme nécessaire pour le financement de ce…
Publications embarrassantes? Facebook veut vous aider mai 17, 2014 Force est de constater que la plupart des utilisateurs Facebook ne se soucient guère de leur niveau de confidentialité sur le réseau social. Facebook a décidé de prendre les choses en main... Il est important de connaître son public…
New York Lottery Winners Wait Six Years To Claim $5 Million Prize octobre 20, 2012 SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Two brothers from central New York have claimed a $5 million lottery prize for a scratch-off ticket they bought at their parents' Syracuse store six years ago, state officials said. Andy Ashkar, 34, of Camillus, and Nayel…
Le Brésil est le premier consommateur mondial de crack septembre 8, 2012 Avec un million de consommateurs, le Brésil est le premier marché mondial de crack, un dérivé bon marché de la cocaïne aux effets dévastateurs, selon une étude réalisée par l'Université fédérale de Sao Paulo (Unifesp), rendue publique mercredi. "Aucun autre…
Carnival Business : West Indian American Labor Day Parade Grind septembre 4, 2012 Celebrating its 45th year in existence, the annual West Indian American Day Carnival is one of the biggest festivals in North America, bringing out over three million spectators and revelers onto Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn. This is no small…
New York City : Council Member Mathieu Eugene Extends Happy Easter Wishes avril 18, 2014 Brooklyn, N.Y. - Council Member Mathieu Eugene wishes a happy and peaceful Easter to all Christians who observe the holiday. Stated Council Member Eugene " On Easter we come together with family members to remember and appreciate the…
Dr Mathieu Eugene , New York City Council member avril 16, 2014 Mathieu Eugene is a New York City Council member. He is an Haitian-American, he was born in Cap-Haïtien in April 1954. He made history when he won two special elections to become the first Haitian-born elected official in the state of New York. He attended…
Les 20 footballeurs les mieux payés du monde(2014) avril 14, 2014 Zlatan Ibrahimovic On ne vous apprend rien : le football de haut niveau ne connaît pas la crise, et certaines stars du ballon rond empochent des sommes colossales. Officiellement, le portugais Cristiano Ronaldo est le joueur le mieux…
In Haiti, we must make mining revenue work for us août 9, 2012 As Haiti awaits a financial windfall from its natural resources, it must ensure a fair share of the money benefits its peopleHaiti is reportedly on the cusp of a gold rush, with exploration proceeding apace for an estimated $20bn worth of precious…
New Jersey : Irvington voters should re-elect Mayor Wayne Smith avril 17, 2014 Irvington Mayor Wayne Smith deserves another term Irvington Mayor Wayne Smith is being endorsed by New Jersey’s oldest weekly newspaper, NJ TODAY , for an unprecedented fourth term in office. Mayor Smith’s bold, innovative leadership has yielded significant progress…
L'argent de Mitt Romney: le nouveau trou noir juillet 12, 2012 C'est une tradition américaine: on aime faire valoir que l'on a payé des impôts. C'est à la fois un signe de réussite, mais aussi la marque d'un bon citoyen et la mise en oeuvre de l'idée du protestantisme selon laquelle…
Pingback: The Tragic Stories of the Lottery’s Unluckiest Winners ( Part 2 of 2 ) - Haiti Infos