Lottery Winners Too Dumb To Stay Rich

By Editorial Staff in Life Style On 28th November 2016

What would you do if you won the big lottery? Buy a house, a few cars, donate to charity, pay school loans, travel? Oh, if it was just that simple. Becoming an instant millionaire via the lottery may be viewed by some as a miracle, but in many cases, those who win tend to enjoy their wealth for only a brief period of time, as spending choices usually cause people to lose all, if not most of their winnings.

#1 David Lee Edwards

In 2001, David Lee Edwards split a $280 million Powerball jackpot with three others, a win that came while he was unemployed and living in his parents' basement. After taxes, he received a lump sum of $27 million. So he did what anybody who just came into a fortune would do. He went on $27 million spending spree that included a house valued at $600,000, a $1 million fleet of assorted cars, a $78,000 watch, a $1.9 million jet, 200 swords and other medieval weapons, and a $4.5 million fiber-optics installation company. He also married a woman who was 19 years his junior and died in 2013 at the age of 58 without a penny to his name. His wife was arrested the day he died for stabbing her boyfriend.

#2 Lisa Arcand

A million bucks doesn't get you very far in today's world. Lisa Arcand won $1 million in the Massachusetts lottery in 2004. She bought a house, lots of new furniture to go into the house, and went on vacations like many big jackpot winners do. She even enrolled her son into a private school. But Lisa realized soon after that the $1 million wasn't going to keep her afloat, so she bought a restaurant. Sadly, within a few years, she ran out of money and closed the failing restaurant. In 2007, she said of her lottery experience, "Actually, it's been very depressing."

#3 Denise Rossi

Denis Rossi was up to something very sneaky, and it caught up with her. She won $1.3 million in the California Lottery in 1996. But instead of telling her husband of 25 years, who thought they were happily married, she asked for a divorce and said she wanted it done as quickly as possible. She got a lawyer and settled things fast, but that wasn't the last time she would need the lawyer. Her dear husband figured out that she had won the lottery and took her to court for his half. Instead, the judge found that she violated asset disclosure laws and awarded her ex-husband all of her winnings as a result.

#4 Marva Wilson

Some friends are really wolves in sheep's clothing, and in 2012 Marva Wilson found out the hard way when her best friend, Freya Pearson, betrayed her in the worst way possible. Marva won $2 million in the Missouri lottery and somehow Freya managed to convince her to give her unrestricted access to her bank account. Pearson used the money to travel, gamble and buy cars and an apartment, spending more than $640,000 of Wilson's winnings. Just two years after cashing in her winning ticket, Wilson was broke.

#5 Willie Hurt

Money is supposed to buy happiness, but don't believe everything you hear. Willie Hurt Hurt won $3.1 million in the Michigan lottery in 1989. Instead of spending his money on making his life better and providing for his wife and two children, he went through it like wildfire, buying drugs and gambling. He ended up ruining his marriage and got divorced while losing custody of his children as well; and if that was not enough, he was also arrested and charged with attempted murder. Of course, the rest of his money was spent on legal fees associated with the divorce and his arrest. He not only lost his family but was broke within 2 years of winning the big Powerball game.

#6 Callie Rogers

Of course in the USA a person must be 18 years old to play the lottery games, but Callie Rogers, from Britain, was just 16 when she won $2.9 million back in 2003 in the British lottery, making her the youngest lottery winner in the country's history, and at the time, she was considered to be far too young to be in control of so much money. She partied like any teenager would do, and spent her winnings on things like cosmetic surgery, drugs, and gigantic VIP parties. She says she attempted suicide three times. Now married and a mother of three, she has only $3,000 left in the bank but says she is finally happy. She says of the experience, "I was too young to win the lottery and I don't think 16-year-olds should be eligible."

#7 Suzanne Mullins

A lot of lottery winners opt to get their winnings all at once, and then there are those who decide it is better to get a monthly payment in installments so they don't blow it all too quickly. Suzanne Mullins won $4.2 million in 1993 in the Virginia lottery. She split the prize with her husband and decided to receive 20 annual after-tax payments of around $50,000. But when money got tight, she borrowed from a company that lends cash to lottery winners. In 2000, the lottery rules changed, allowing Mullins to collect the rest of her money all at once. She apparently spent the money rather than pay back what she owed to the lottery lender, and in 2004 a court ruled she still owed the company $154,147. After paying them back, it left her over $150,000 in debt and broke.

#8 Martyn & Kay Tott

This British couple did something so stupid, that they deserve to be on any list of dumb there is. While watching the lucky numbers being drawn on live TV, the Totts realized they had just won the $5 million jackpot. They couldn't believe it. They both quit their jobs and decided to wait a while to turn the ticket in after they decided what they would do with all their winnings. When they went to turn in the winning ticket, they had misplaced it, and it was nowhere to be found. They convinced the lottery officials that they had indeed purchased the ticket, but alas, they were still not able to collect any money. Unfortunately, they missed the thirty-day deadline given by the lottery to report any lost winning tickets by just four days. Doh!

#9 Evelyn Adams

Your odds of winning the lottery are about as good as your odds of being struck by lightning, but Evelyn Adams did it twice. Evelyn Adams won the New Jersey lottery twice, in 2005 and 2006, collecting $5.4 million in total. Spending sprees, bad investments, gifts to her family and a gambling habit in Atlantic City all helped her get rid of the money quickly. By 2007 she was on welfare and collecting food stamps.

#10 Lou Eisenberg

Another winner who took his winnings in installments, Lou went broke quickly. Mostly because he would just give his money away. He won $5 million in 1981, which at the time was the largest lottery win ever. After taxes, he received payments of $120,000 annually for 20 years. He bought a condo in Florida, took trips to Europe and Hawaii, and gambled. He also gave cash to whoever he figured needed it. Shortly after cashing his last check in 2001, Eisenberg was broke. Now 81 years old, he lives in a mobile home on social security and pension income that amounts to about $1,000 a month.

#11 Sharon Tirabassi

Sharon Tirabassi, a native of Hamilton, Ontario, won $10.5 million in 2004. She treated friends to vacations in Cancun, Las Vegas, California, Florida and the Caribbean. She got married and bought a house for $515,000 and got a $360,000 mortgage loan rather than paying all cash. She bought numerous cars, including one that cost more than $200,000, and gave millions of dollars to family and friends. By 2007, half of her money was gone. By 2008, with her husband in jail for a DUI, Tirabassi lost her home and everything in it. Now, to pay the rent and support her kids, she takes the bus to her part-time job.

#12 Michael Carroll

Another Brit on the list, Michael Carroll from England was just 19 years old and working as a garbage collector after just being released from prison when he played and won the lottery in 2002. His haul was no garbage. He won $14.4 million and managed to blow through his winnings with incredible speed. He wasted money on a mansion, parties, expensive jewelry, various drugs, and "dancers". By 2012, Carroll was broke and living off unemployment checks. Now he works on an assembly line in a factory, making about $300 per week.

#13 Janite Lee

Janite Lee was very generous with her winnings. She won $18 million in 1993. Although her gambling habit reportedly cost her more than $300,000 per year, she may have spent more on charitable and political donations. Her generosity included $1 million for Washington University to build a new library. She also gave millions to political campaigns, which depending on your outlook, may have been a bigger waste of her money than gambling was. In 2001, her generosity and gambling had caught up with her and she filed for bankruptcy.

#14 Billie Bob Harrell Jr

Billie Bob Harrell Jr was a Texas preacher who happened to also work at Home Depot stocking shelves, and in 1997, his prayers were seemingly heard as he won a $31 million jackpot. Harrell used the money to buy a ranch as well as six additional residences, and several new cars; and he also went on to make a sizable donation to his church. A large percentage of his winnings went towards his "friends" though, as Harrell had the nasty tendency of lending money to anyone who asked him for some, which is probably one of the stupidest things you can let yourself do if you win the lottery. Everyone wanted a piece of his money, and soon his marriage was in trouble as he lent and spent all of his winnings. His wife left him when he was penniless and in 1999, less than two years after his big win, Harrell took his own life out of depression.

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