Nigel Willetts
Nigel Willetts is a village pub landlord turned multi-millionaire after winning the jackpot for EuroMillions. The then-48 year man celebrated by closing his pub for a night and treating all his regulars to food and drink. He spent a total of £20 on the tickets and bought them on what is considered to be an unlucky date: Friday the 13th. Well, it seems old superstitions don’t apply to Nigel!
Using some of his wealth, he also took 13 of his family members (there goes that lucky number again!) on a holiday in Florida. For a man like Nigel, insurance might be the last thing on his mind, but we hope he considers it. Lucky or not, precautions are a necessity!
Jonathan Vargas
Jonathan Vargas was only 19 when he won $35.3 million from Powerball back in 2008. He used his winnings to establish “Wrestilicious”, which is an all-female wrestling promotion. This went down the drain just after a year of launching, however. Not one to give up, he invested in other businesses but these also went up in smoke.
He had great plans in the beginning: create a trust fund for his siblings, build his mother a new home, donate to the local church, and go to college for his education. However, even if he did try to do everything right, it seemed that he didn’t listen to the advice his financial advisors and accountant were giving him. Sadly, Jonathan ended up bankrupt.
Lara and Roger Griffiths
In 2006, the Griffiths won the £1.8 million Lotto jackpot. When they won, life changed instantly for both. At first, they did everything right. They hired a financial advisor and looked into investing money. They didn’t even celebrate in a grand way, they just bought cheap champagne and ordered Indian take out.
Next on their list was buying their dream home. This is a priority for many couples, we’re sure. The property cost £670,000, but it was all theirs. They also traded in their old car for a Porsche! In terms of investing, they bought other properties to be rented out. The Griffiths also tried out stocks, but it didn’t pan out. In time, their money began to dwindle and was depleted within six years.
Sarah Cockings
Sarah Cockings was still a social work student when she won the lottery jackpot worth £3,045,705 ($4.2 million) back in 2005. Unlike others on our list, she celebrated her win by getting a chest enhancement. In fact, she paid for both of her sisters to undergo the same surgery as well! Aside from getting these, Sarah also treated her family to a number of luxuries. She bought a new house for her parents, took them on vacations, and bought two expensive cars for herself.
At her mother’s request, she went back to school to pursue a degree. However, Sarah eventually quit school to focus on modeling and other opportunities she had begun receiving. We hope she saved some of the money she won, too!
Americo Lopes
Before winning the lottery, Americo Lopes was working as a construction worker. He won the $38.5 million lottery jackpot back in 2009, but he did not disclose it with anyone aside from his family. The reason? He was supposed to split the winnings with his co-workers since they all chipped in for the lottery ticket. Americo was quite generous with his family members, though, and he lavishly spent his newfound fortune on gifts that totaled to $250,000. He was quick to spend the money before he was found out. Americo was able to buy a Chevy truck, pay the downpayment on his dream home, and clear his mortgage worth $378,000. After getting caught, he was ordered by the court to give his co-workers their share.
Martyn and Kay Tott
Martyn and Kay Tott won $3 million, but they, unfortunately, lost their lottery ticket. Like most of us, Martyn Tott was hoping to win the lottery but wasn’t really expecting that he would actually win it. They misplaced the winning ticket, much to their frustration. Lottery organizer Camelot declined to pay them their winnings, even though the couple had been able to prove with computer records that they were telling the truth. The ticket was essential to his claim. Martyn’s fixation on what he lost cost him his marriage and his sanity. It was only ten years later that he found happiness again. He continues to work as a purchasing manager, to pay off his mortgage and has since accepted how things turned out.
Sharon Tirabassi
Sharon Tirabassi is a mother from Canada who won $10.5 million in 2004. She has gone from living the lavish life of a high roller to living from paycheck to paycheck. There have been claims that the lack of a financial advisor and uncontrolled spending led to her downfall. With her wins, Tirabassi bought a house, cars, and some new set of expensive clothes. Using some of her money, she gave friends and family handouts, as well as loans, which weren’t paid back in most cases. Since she came from a humble family, she was not knowledgeable in handling money matters. The only decision she doesn’t regret is putting some money in her children’s bank accounts that they’ll be able to use when they turn 26 years old.
Tonda Lynn Dickerson
Tonda Lynn Dickerson was working at a restaurant, which Edward Seward frequented. He also often gifted the servers with lottery tickets. As luck would have it, Tonda got the winning one. Tonda Lynn’s four coworkers at the Waffle House thought she was obligated to share with them because they all agreed to split the winnings if any of them won. Seward also wanted his share and said he had been promised a pickup truck. They all sued her, but Tonda ended up winning the case. However, she got in trouble with lawyers and the IRS. As you might know by now, big money always comes with big taxes. In the end, the former waitress ended up having to fork over $1 million in gift taxes.
Gerald Muswagon
In 1998, Gerald Muswagon won $10 million in the Super 7 jackpot lottery in Canada. All of the instant fame and attention got to his head, and he spent exorbitant amounts of cash on cars, homes, and parties. He even turned his home into a party pad! After some time, he got into a lot of trouble with the law, including getting jailed for speed driving at more than 100 miles per hour in his brand new Chevy Silverado. Gerald did not learn his lesson, though, and trusted that he had a good lawyer to defend him if needed. His lifestyle caught up with him and he eventually ended up penniless. Gerald returned to his minimum wage job, but couldn’t adjust. He passed away in 2005.
Suzanne Mullins
Suzanne Mullins won $4.2 million in 1993 after matching all six numbers in the Virginia lotto. Being the kind woman that she is, Suzanne split the 20 annual payments of $47,800 with her husband and daughter. Within five years, she was in debt and used future payouts as collateral for a $200,000 loan. She incurred the debt because her son-in-law was uninsured and needed $1 million for his medical bills. The family took out a loan but later opted for a lump-sum payout. However, she did not use this to pay off her outstanding debt. The lending company eventually took her to court and while they won the lawsuit, which included a $154,000,000 settlement, they got nothing in the end because Suzanne was already penniless.