Buzz
Dreaming of winning the lottery and planning how to spend the fortune is common, but only a few ever see that dream come true. Sadly, nearly one-third of lottery winners end up bankrupt within a few years. They get caught up in a lavish lifestyle, spending their winnings on luxury cars, extravagant shopping, opulent homes, and expensive vacations. Soon, they end up in a worse financial state than before their big win. Here are ten lottery winners who lost everything.
10. Lisa Arcand
After winning the lottery, Lisa Arcand's first move was to throw a $3,000 celebration for her friends. The single mother won $1 million, but her fortune didn’t last. Within four years, she was struggling to pay her bills.
Arcand used her winnings to buy a house, furnish it with new items, take a few vacations, enroll her son in a Catholic school, and open her dream restaurant. She invested $50,000 from her savings to launch the seafood restaurant, but it struggled from the start. The business never gained traction, and she was forced to shut it down when she couldn’t cover the expenses, leaving her in debt.
9. Martyn & Kay Tott
A couple who consistently played the same lottery numbers missed a weekly draw, and it turned out to be a costly mistake. Martyn and Kay Tott always used numbers tied to significant life events: six for his birthday, seven for hers, 11 for their engagement day, 23 and 32 for their ages when they met, and 44 for his grandmother’s house number. When they saw a news report about an unclaimed lottery win in their area, they realized the winning numbers matched theirs. However, they faced a major issue—they couldn’t locate their ticket.
Martyn reached out to Camelot, the lottery company, to prove the numbers belonged to them, but the company denied their claim. Surveillance footage from the store confirmed they had purchased the ticket, but it wasn’t enough. Martyn spent years battling Camelot in court, but his efforts were in vain. The ordeal took a toll on his life, leading to his divorce, heavy drinking, and financial struggles. Though he eventually found happiness with a new career and partner, he never received the lottery winnings.
8. Lara & Roger Griffiths
Lara and Roger Griffiths were a typical working-class couple from West Yorkshire until they won a $2.4 million jackpot. They celebrated their win modestly at home with champagne and Indian takeout, unaware that it would be their last day of normalcy.
Just a week after their lottery win, the Griffiths left their jobs, bought a convertible Audi, and indulged in a luxurious stay at a five-star hotel in Dubai. They moved into a more upscale home, filled it with high-end furniture, splurged on shopping, and embarked on extravagant vacations. However, their lives quickly spiraled out of control as Roger turned to alcohol and Lara spent excessively on personal enhancements. Their fortune vanished almost entirely, leading to their eventual divorce.
7. Freddie Young
Freddie Young was part of a lottery group that hit the jackpot in February 2011, winning $46 million. Each member received $1.6 million, but Young’s share didn’t last long due to his actions.
In May 2011, Greg McNicol was murdered outside an apartment building he owned. McNicol had been arguing with Young’s daughter over unpaid rent when Young shot him. Young claimed the gun fired accidentally, but he was found guilty and sentenced to 25-30 years in prison. McNicol’s wife filed a wrongful death lawsuit, and a judge froze Young’s remaining funds.
6. Willie Hurt
In 1989, Willie Hurt struck it rich with a $3.1 million win in Michigan’s Super Lotto, but his fortune quickly turned to misfortune. His life unraveled as he went through a divorce, lost custody of his kids, and became addicted to drugs. By 1991, he was arrested for killing a woman in a dispute over crack cocaine.
Wendy Kimmey was discovered dead at the Burkewood Inn with a gunshot wound to the head. Hurt had been staying at the inn for nearly three weeks. Witnesses reported hearing heated arguments between Kimmey and Hurt, with many believing his anger stemmed from her inability to procure crack cocaine. Hurt was ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation and faced a potential life sentence if convicted.
5. Janite Lee
Janite Lee won $18 million in the Illinois Lottery in 1993, opting for annual payments of approximately $620,000. Known for her generosity, Lee dedicated most of her yearly installments to charitable causes and political donations.
Her philanthropy earned her recognition among politicians, including invitations to dine with Bill Clinton and Al Gore. The Washington University School of Law honored her by naming a reading room after her. However, her relentless giving left her with nothing. In 2001, Lee sold her future payments and filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, claiming only $700 in assets and over $2.5 million in debt.
4. Suzanne Mullins
In 1993, Suzanne Mullins hit the jackpot with a $4.2 million lottery win, choosing annual payments. She intended to share her fortune with her family, but the money vanished quickly. Within five years, Mullins faced mounting bills and sought a loan from a financial foundation to stay afloat. She attributed her financial struggles to $1 million in medical expenses for her son-in-law. A decade after her win, she was penniless and sued by the foundation for over $150,000 in unpaid debts.
3. Sharon Tirabassi
Imagine winning $10 million and having nothing left after ten years. Sharon Tirabassi, a 35-year-old from Hamilton, Ontario, won $10,569,000 in the Ontario Lottery. She generously shared her winnings, giving $1 million to her parents and $1.75 million to her siblings. She also helped others by buying homes, covering rent, and funding business ventures.
Over time, Tirabassi’s spending became reckless. She bought luxury vehicles like a Hummer, Mustang, Charger, and Escalade, and took lavish trips to Cancun and the Caribbean. Realizing her funds were dwindling, she placed the remaining money into a trust for her six children, accessible when they turn 26. Today, Tirabassi works part-time, lives in a rented home, and relies on public transportation.
2. Evelyn Adams
Winning the lottery once is incredibly rare, but imagine winning it twice! Evelyn Adams, a New Jersey convenience store worker, achieved this feat. Her first win in October 1985 brought her $3.9 million, and her second win in February 1986 added $1.4 million to her fortune.
After receiving her winnings, Adams paid off her debts, bought a new car, and created a college fund for her daughter. However, her generosity led to her downfall as she gave away large sums to those in need and developed a severe gambling habit. Two decades after her historic wins, she was left penniless and living in a trailer park.
1. Bud Post
William “Bud” Post is often considered one of the unluckiest lottery winners in history. In 1988, he won $16.2 million in the Pennsylvania lottery while living on disability payments. Despite the massive windfall, Post’s financial troubles worsened. Within just three months, he had squandered his fortune and accumulated significant debt.
Just two weeks after receiving his first $500,000 annual payment, Post bought a restaurant, a used car dealership, and an airplane. However, within months, he was buried under $500,000 in debt. His family persuaded him to invest in failed ventures, and his landlord took a third of his cash. The worst came when his brother was arrested for hiring a hitman to kill Post and his sixth wife. Post eventually declared bankruptcy, spent time in jail for firing at a bill collector, and passed away in 2006 due to respiratory failure.
