Winning the lottery is a dream for many people. The chances of winning are extremely slim, with odds in the millions or billions to one, yet millions continue to play in hopes of striking it rich. While winning the jackpot can transform lives, it also comes with risks, from fraudulent claims to family feuds over the money. The allure of instant wealth makes for great stories, both fictional and real-life. Movies based on lottery winners explore many of the blessings and curses that come with a financial windfall.
What are some notable movies about winning the lottery?
Here are some of the most well-known films that tell stories about characters who win big lottery prizes:
It Could Happen to You (1994) – This romantic comedy starring Nicolas Cage and Bridget Fonda is based on the true story of a New York City police officer who wins $4 million and splits it with a waitress after promising to share his winnings with her. Despite the money complicating their lives, it ultimately brings the two closer together.
Waking Ned Devine (1998) – When a lottery winner in a small Irish village dies of shock after winning, his fellow townspeople concoct a plan to claim the winnings by pretending one of them is the deceased winner. Their scheme doesn’t go as smoothly as they hoped.
Lucky Numbers (2000) – John Travolta plays a debt-ridden weatherman who tries to cheat the local Pennsylvania lottery after he picks the winning numbers for a TV promo. Things spiral out of control as his greedy girlfriend and friends push him to see the scheme through.
The Lottery Ticket (2010) – A young man in the projects played by Bow Wow wins $370 million but loses the ticket before he can claim it. He and his neighbors have until the close of business that day to find the missing ticket.
Where Hands Touch (2018) – In this drama set in WWII Germany, a biracial girl has a forbidden love with an SS officer’s son. She later wins the lottery which allows her to escape and survive the horrors faced by minorities under Nazi rule.
What are some true stories about lottery winners?
While fictional movies tend to exaggerate for dramatic effect, real-life lottery tales prove that truth can be just as intriguing. Here are some noteworthy true stories of lottery winners:
Evelyn Adams – This New Jersey woman surprisingly won the state lottery not just once but twice, in 1985 and 1986. Her winnings totaled $5.4 million but bad investments and gambling addictions led her to lose it all and even become homeless later in life.
Jack Whittaker – Whittaker won what was at the time the largest single lottery ticket prize ever in the US, a Powerball jackpot of $315 million in 2002. However, his winnings led to legal troubles, strained family relationships, and drug addiction that ultimately ended in tragedy.
Andrew Jackson “Jack” Whittaker Jr. – Was an American building contractor who won US$314.9 million in the Powerball multi-state lottery, at that time the largest jackpot in American lottery history. Whittaker’s winnings set off a chain of events that have led to both criminal and civil lawsuits, divorce, and the death of his granddaughter due to drug overdoses.
Billie Bob Harrell Jr. – In 1997, this Pentecostal preacher from Texas won $31 million in the state lottery. He and his wife lived lavishly for a while before financial and legal problems led him to take his own life. The money had put too much strain on his life and marriage.
Willie Hurt – This Michigan man better known as “Hot Lotto winner” claimed a $16.5 million jackpot in 2009. However, it later came out that he was part of an elaborate insider lottery fraud scheme and did not actually buy the winning ticket.
What examples are there of lottery winners who met unfortunate ends?
While winning the lottery is usually associated with happiness and good fortune, things have gone terribly wrong for some winners. Here are a few examples of winners meeting tragic ends:
Jeffrey Dampier – After this Illinois man won $20 million in the Illinois Lottery in 1996, he used some of the money to start a popcorn business in Florida. In 2005, Dampier was kidnapped by his own sister-in-law and her boyfriend. They demanded he hand over cash before shooting and killing him.
William “Bud†Post – Post won $16.2 million in the Pennsylvania lottery in 1988 but ended up broke and in debt within a year thanks to frivolous spending, scammers, and legal troubles. In 2006, Post passed away without a penny to his name.
Urooj Khan – Khan, an immigrant from India, won $1 million off a scratch card ticket in 2012. He chose a lump sum payment of $425,000. However, the day after receiving his winnings, Khan died unexpectedly. A toxicology report later revealed he had been poisoned with cyanide.
Abraham Shakespeare – This Florida man won $30 million in the lottery in 2006 but was murdered just three years later by a woman attempting to steal his remaining winnings. His body was later found buried under concrete.
Keith Gough – A winner of £9 million in the UK lottery, Gough met a tragic end when his own son-in-law murdered him in 2010. The motive was apparently anger over how Gough was spending his fortune.
What are the pros and cons of winning the lottery?
Winning a massive jackpot has plenty of obvious advantages but also comes with unique challenges, as many winners have learned the hard way. Here is a breakdown of the pros and cons that come with winning the lottery:
Pros:
- Wealth – Lottery prizes instantly make you very rich and allow you to afford things you never could before.
- Financial security – Never having to worry about money again in your life.
- Time freedom – The ability to quit your job and have more free time.
- Luxuries – You can buy expensive cars, homes, vacations, clothing and more.
- Helping others – Sharing your wealth with family, friends, or charitable causes.
Cons:
- Stress – Coping with fame, requests for money, investment worries.
- Risks – Lottery winners are targets for lawsuits, scams, and fraud.
- Strained relationships – Money can negatively affect relationships with family/friends.
- Foolish spending – Squandering your fortune through extravagant purchases.
- Depression/emptiness – Some winners experience loneliness and a lack of purpose.
What steps should you take right after winning the lottery?
Winning a huge jackpot can be overwhelming. While the excitement sets in, it’s important to take the proper steps to protect yourself and your windfall:
- Sign the ticket – This prevents anyone else from claiming your prize.
- Consider remaining anonymous – This helps avoid constant public requests for money.
- Get professional advisors – Work with experienced finance, tax and legal experts.
- Pay off debts – Get out of debt right away before spending lavishly.
- Tell close family/friends – Inform those very close to you but avoid broadcasting the news publicly.
- Change contact information – Get a new mailing address, email and phone number to maintain privacy.
- Create a trust – Putting the money into a trust makes it harder for people to take advantage.
Following these initial steps can help you responsibly manage your life-changing winnings in the healthiest way possible.
Should you take the annuity or lump sum option?
For large jackpot wins, winners face a choice between receiving the full amount slowly over several decades via an annuity or taking a reduced lump cash sum upfront. Here are the key considerations:
Annuity
- Receive 1/30th of full jackpot annually over 30 years
- Offers steady, reliable income for life
- Payments are taxed each year as regular income
- Lower risk of wasting the entire amount
Lump Sum
- One-time payment of the jackpot’s discounted present cash value
- Typically around half the advertised jackpot amount
- Freedom to invest or spend the money
- Higher risk of being mismanaged
- Must pay large amount of taxes immediately
There are good arguments on both sides. The annuity offers a stable lifetime income while the lump sum allows you to invest or use the money now as you wish. Consulting a tax expert and financial planner can help determine the better option.
How often do lottery winners end up broke?
Despite coming into great wealth, a surprising number of lottery winners eventually go broke and even file for bankruptcy. Here are some key stats on how often lottery fortunes get squandered:
- 1/3 of lottery winners eventually declare bankruptcy
- Roughly 70% of winners lose their windfall within 7 years
- Big lottery winners are about 20% more likely to file for bankruptcy
- Nearly 30% of lottery winners spend all their winnings in the first 5 years
While numbers vary by study, the overall trend shows that a majority of lottery winners see their wealth disappear a few years after their lucky win. Lack of money management skills and financial literacy play big roles. Winning a fortune after having little can be culturally and psychologically jarring and take discipline to navigate wisely.
What interesting psychological effects come with winning the lottery?
In addition to financial implications, there are various psychological effects that sudden wealth and fame can have on lottery winners:
- Feeling aimless – Without needing to work, winners can feel bored and without purpose.
- Guilt – Guilt over winning when friends/family did not or knowing needy people exist.
- Paranoia – Constant worries over people trying to take advantage or getting sued.
- Isolation – Disconnect from old friends who may resent the money or make demands.
- Emptiness – A feeling that money alone can’t buy happiness after the initial thrill wears off.
- Stress – Anxiety over managing the money responsibility and extra attention received.
Having the means to never work again may sound ideal but it can lead to depression, strained relationships, and a lack of fulfillment for both winners and their loved ones.
Examples of people whose lives were ruined by winning the lottery?
Here are some real-life examples of lottery winners whose lives took turns for the worse after coming into sudden wealth:
Jack Whittaker – This West Virginia winner of a $315 million Powerball jackpot in 2002 saw his life unravel. He faced huge lawsuits, divorce, the death of a granddaughter, and fights over how he spent the money recklessly.
Andrew Jackson “Jack†Whittaker Jr. was a 55-year-old businessman from West Virginia who won US$315 million in the Powerball multi-state lottery, at that time the largest jackpot in American lottery history. At the time, he was already worth millions from his construction company. Whittaker took the all-cash option payment of $170.5 million, and immediately began lavishly spending his fortune on multiple houses and vehicles for himself and his family. This attracted a number of legal problems and hangers-on trying to get at his money. Within four years, he had spent millions on a strip club, settlements amid lawsuits, and monthly thefts from his car by addicts. According to his lawyer, he was plagued by 400 requests per week for financial assistance. His daughter and granddaughter died from drug overdoses, although his granddaughter had pre-existing substance abuse problems. Whittaker was arrested twice for DUI. In 2009 thieves again broke into his car, this time making off with $100,000 in cash he had planned to use to pay for merchandise at a strip club. By 2016 Whittaker was estimated to have less than $10 million remaining from his lottery winnings.
Willie Hurt – He won $3.1 million in the Michigan lottery in 1989. Two years later he was divorced, broke and charged with murdering a woman. His lawyer says winning ruined his life.
Gerald Muswagon – This young Canadian man won $10 million in 1998. Just 7 years later, he took his own life after losing his fortune to partying and drinking binges.
Evelyn Adams – She shockingly won the New Jersey lottery twice, in 1985 and 1986. But compulsive gambling left her broke and living in a trailer by 2001.
Conclusion
Winning the jackpot can open doors to life-changing luxury few can imagine. However, managing the windfall prudently requires skills and discipline. Families get torn apart, lives ruined, and fortunes squandered without the right perspective and guidance. Lottery winners face unique hurdles, from identity changes to long-lost “relatives†asking for money. Many winners ultimately wish they never won. Movies and true stories reveal that winning the lottery isn’t always the happy ending it appears to be. For the prudent and wise, it can bring blessings. But for many, sudden riches prove to be more of a curse.