Winning the lottery is every dreamer’s ultimate fantasy—instant riches, endless luxury, and zero financial worries. Right? Well, it turns out, holding millions of dollars doesn’t come with a user manual, and some folks make the most spectacular mess of it. In fact, 1 in 3 lottery winners go broke—because who needs financial stability when you can have a pet tiger and a fleet of gold-plated Lamborghinis?
From impulsive spending sprees to the kind of decision-making you’d expect after one too many cocktails, the lottery curse can strike in more than one way. Here’s a list of people who couldn’t handle the windfall very well and their tragic stories.
12. Lara and Roger Griffiths – £1.8 Million UK National Lottery (2005)
Lara and Roger Griffiths thought they had hit the jackpot when they won £1.8 million in the UK National Lottery in 2005. The couple was living a typical suburban life before the windfall, and their initial plans sounded relatively sensible—they wanted to buy a dream home and give their daughters a comfortable upbringing. But the allure of wealth quickly set them on a path of bad decisions.
The first thing they did was buy a stunning £800,000 barn conversion, complete with all the luxurious trappings they’d dreamed of. Roger, a former IT manager, even lived out his rockstar fantasies by sinking tens of thousands of pounds into his band’s music career, funding studio time and chasing a dream that, well, didn’t quite pan out. Lara, meanwhile, developed a taste for designer clothes and luxury cars, quickly depleting their fortune on an extravagant lifestyle.
To make matters worse, the 2008 financial crash significantly devalued their property, leaving them in deep financial trouble. Roger and Lara’s marriage also fell apart, with infidelity allegations flying back and forth. By 2013, the couple had split up, their dream house was repossessed, and they were left nearly bankrupt. Today, Lara is reportedly renting a modest home and working as a hairdresser, while Roger is trying to restart his IT career.
11. Callie Rogers – £1.9 Million UK National Lottery (2003)
Because Being 16 and Winning £1.9 Million Isn’t Awkward Enough
Callie Rogers was just 16 when she won £1.9 million in the UK lottery, which made her instantly one of the youngest lottery winners ever! Rogers did what most teenagers would do—blew through cash like it was going out of style. There were designer clothes, fancy cars, and the obligatory plastic surgeries. Because when you’re that young and loaded, who needs common sense?
After several years of spending like there was no tomorrow, Rogers ended up with virtually nothing. A few bad relationships and wild spending sprees later, she was left scraping by, having blown her entire fortune. The moral here? Maybe teenagers shouldn’t be trusted with millions, or at least someone should’ve handed her a pamphlet on “How to Adult 101.”
10. Willie Hurt – $3.1 Million Michigan Super Lotto (1989)
A $3.1 Million Mistake (Or Several)
In 1989, Willie Hurt of Michigan won $3.1 million, and you’d assume that’d set him up for life. Instead, it set him up for a tragic spiral. Hurt spent his fortune on drugs—particularly crack cocaine—and within just two years, he was broke. His problems didn’t end there. Hurt’s life took an even darker turn when he was charged with murder in a drug-related incident.
If there were ever a lottery winner whose story turned into a Hollywood-level cautionary tale, it’s Willie Hurt’s. From riches to ruin to criminal charges, Hurt’s downfall reminds us all that no amount of money can fix the demons lurking beneath the surface.
9. Evelyn Adams – $5.4 Million New Jersey Lottery (1985 & 1986)
Double the Luck, Double the Disaster
Evelyn Adams hit the lottery twice—yes, you read that right—twice, in consecutive years. Statistically, this makes her one of the luckiest lottery winners of all time. In 1985 and 1986, she walked away with a total of $5.4 million from the New Jersey Lottery. You’d think with that kind of fortune, Evelyn would have lived comfortably for the rest of her life. But no, Lady Luck was a fleeting companion.
In a twist that no one saw coming, Evelyn managed to blow through her winnings on everything from reckless gambling to generous handouts to friends and family. Her biggest vice? Atlantic City. It turns out that living near a casino when you’re impulsive and flush with cash is a terrible combination. Instead of wisely investing her winnings, Evelyn spent her days in the gambling halls, trying to turn her millions into even more millions. Spoiler alert: the house always wins.
By the time the dust settled, Evelyn had gambled away her fortune and found herself living in a trailer park. She’s now a living example that even the luckiest person can run out of good fortune if they don’t manage their wealth responsibly. As Evelyn put it in an interview, “I won the American dream, but I lost it, too.”
8. Keith Gough – £9 Million UK National Lottery (2005)
Bought a Luxury Box… and Lost the Plot
Keith Gough’s story is a tragic one, highlighting just how much lottery winnings can take a toll on someone’s mental and physical well-being. Keith, a former baker from the UK, won £9 million in the National Lottery in 2005. Initially, things seemed to be going well—he and his wife splurged on the usual luxuries: a fancy house, flashy cars, and lavish vacations. But it wasn’t long before things started to unravel.
Keith’s fortune didn’t bring him happiness; instead, it fueled his worst habits. He became heavily addicted to alcohol, and the stress of managing such a large sum of money led to his marriage falling apart. With his relationship in shambles, Keith sought solace in drinking and gambling. He even became entangled with people who were all too happy to help him squander his millions. He lent huge sums of money to so-called “friends” who had no intention of paying him back, and before long, his bank account was bleeding dry.
By 2010, Keith was broke, living off benefits, and his health had deteriorated significantly due to his alcoholism. Sadly, his story ended in tragedy—he passed away from a heart attack, which his doctors attributed to the stress and lifestyle changes brought on by his lottery win. Keith’s story serves as a haunting reminder that sudden wealth can be as dangerous as it is life-changing, especially for those who aren’t prepared for the pressures it brings.
7. Michael Carroll – £9.7 Million UK National Lottery (2002)
From Garbage Man to… Well, Pretty Much the Same Thing
Ah, Michael Carroll, or as the British tabloids so fondly called him, “The Lotto Lout.” A 19-year-old garbage man from Norfolk, Michael won £9.7 million (about $15 million at the time) in the UK National Lottery in 2002. Now, most of us at 19 might not be paragons of financial wisdom, but Michael’s spending spree was the stuff of legend. In just a few short years, he burned through his entire fortune in a haze of parties, drugs, and sheer debauchery.
Michael famously declared that he would spend his winnings on “drugs, women, and cars,” and boy did he deliver on that promise. He went on a £2,000-a-day cocaine habit, threw wild parties where guests drove luxury cars into his swimming pool for fun, and somehow managed to earn himself an ASBO (Anti-Social Behaviour Order) for terrorizing his neighbors. He also dabbled in some less-than-legal endeavors, which earned him a stint in prison.
By 2013, Carroll was completely broke and back to his garbage man roots, applying for his old job while living off government benefits. As of his latest interviews, Michael seems to have turned a corner, now working in a biscuit factory. But let’s be honest—his story is like a cautionary British tabloid headline come to life.
6. William “Bud” Post – $16.2 Million Pennsylvania Lottery (1988)
He Had a Twin-Engine Plane but No Pilot’s License
William “Bud” Post III was living paycheck to paycheck doing all sorts of jobs like cooking, painting, driving trucks, and traveling with carnivals and circuses. He had been in jail before for issuing invalid checks and often had to tighten his purse.
On another miserable day, when he had just $2.46 in his bank account, William hit the jackpot. He bagged a mighty sum of $16.2 million in the Pennsylvania Lottery. Within two months, he had spent $300,000 on random stuff like a liquor license, lease for a restaurant in Florida, a used-car lot, and a twin-engine airplane, although he did not hold a pilot’s license. He spent another $395,000 on a mansion in Oil City, Pennsylvania. No wonder he ended up accumulating debt worth $500,000.
His misfortune came in his landlady suing him for one-third of his lottery winnings since she had loaned him the money to buy the winning tickets. She claimed that they had agreed to split the winnings among themselves. When the case came to court, he was already in debt and refused to pay up. The judge froze his payments for the time being.
Later, William Post was arrested on a sailboat in 1998 for charges of assault from six years ago. The second blow was William’s brother trying to murder him for the money by hiring an assassin.
5. John McGuinness – $16.3 Million UK National Lottery (1997)
Riches to Rags – A Soccer Story
John McGuinness was living the dream—at least for a while. This Scottish hospital porter was making £150 a week before he won £10 million (about $16.3 million) in the UK National Lottery. He generously shared millions with his family and even threw a £200,000 wedding for himself and his new partner. Life was good—or so it seemed.
But then, in what can only be described as a next-level bad decision, John bought the Livingston Football Club, a failing team that ultimately drained his entire fortune. By the time he realized football ownership wasn’t his strong suit, the money was gone. He had to sell his home and went back to living paycheck to paycheck, proving once again that sports teams are never a good investment unless your last name is Steinbrenner.
4. Janite Lee – $18 Million Illinois Lottery (1993)
When Generosity Turns Into, Well, Generosity Gone Wild
Janite Lee, an immigrant from South Korea, made her fortune in the Illinois Lottery with an $18 million win. Unlike the other winners who immediately splurged on luxury, Janite took the high road—or so she thought. She became a major philanthropist, donating vast sums to educational causes and political campaigns. She even had dinner with Bill Clinton and Al Gore and got her name plastered on a university reading room. Fancy!
But philanthropy didn’t save her from financial disaster. Lee, like many lottery winners, decided to trade her yearly checks for a lump sum payment—a move that quickly sent her spiraling into debt. Within ten years, she was bankrupt, owing $2.5 million and left with only $700 to her name. Turns out, you can’t give away money you no longer have, no matter how many famous politicians you’ve dined with.
3. David Lee Edwards – $27 Million Powerball (2001)
From Prison to Penthouse… to Poverty
David Lee Edwards was a man who spent a third of his life in prison before he hit the $27 million Powerball jackpot. You’d think after spending years behind bars, he would’ve learned a thing or two about discipline. Nope. Turns out, managing millions was even harder than staying out of trouble.
Initially, David seemed to do things right. He hired a lawyer and a financial advisor, setting himself up with a monthly allowance of $85,000. But old habits die hard, and soon enough, Edwards was blowing through cash faster than you can say “bad idea.” He bought a mansion, a private jet, multiple luxury cars (because one Lamborghini is so pedestrian), and even a $35,000 Hummer golf cart for his teenage daughter—because teens need Hummers, obviously.
Within three months, David had already spent $3 million, and by the end of the first year, half his fortune was gone. But the worst part? Both he and his wife Shawna fell into a deep drug addiction that consumed the rest of their lives—and their money. Their health deteriorated, they were repeatedly arrested for drug possession, and by 2013, David died penniless in hospice care. Apparently, his millions couldn’t buy him out of the bad choices he had made.
2. Bill Bob Harrell – $31 Million Texas Lotto (1997)
The Guy Who Proved Winning Isn’t Everything
Bill Bob Harrell was a simple man with simple dreams—until he won $31 million in the Texas Lotto in 1997. His first move? Quit his job at Home Depot, obviously. He then went on a shopping spree, buying homes and cars for friends and family, and generously donating to his church. It’s all very heartwarming until the donations spiraled into a never-ending barrage of people asking for more. Apparently, being too generous has its downsides.
Things got so bad, Bill attempted to trade his annual lottery payouts for a lump sum in a financial deal that was, let’s just say, not exactly beneficial to him. On top of that, his marriage fell apart, and just two years after his win, Bill tragically took his own life. In his final moments, he reportedly told his financial advisor, “Winning the lottery is the worst thing that ever happened to me.” Harsh, but maybe true.
1. Andrew Jackson Whittaker Jr. – $314.9 Million Powerball Jackpot (2002)
A Case of Too Much Cash, Too Little Sense
And here comes the number one spot for no other than the granddaddy of all lottery winners, Andrew Jackson Whittaker Jr. In 2002, this West Virginia construction tycoon made history by winning the largest jackpot ever claimed by a single ticket at the time—a cool $314.9 million. Andrew didn’t just win the lottery, he obliterated it. But what followed can only be described as a cautionary tale written by the universe itself, almost like fate was annoyed he won that much money.
At first, Andrew was generous with his winnings—donating to Christian charities and giving away millions to his foundation that supported struggling families. He even gifted a deli manager a $123,000 house, a brand new Jeep, and a $44,000 check because why not? I mean, if you’re going to win hundreds of millions, the least you can do is thank the person who served you sandwiches.
But Andrew soon got lost in the whirlwind of wealth. He purchased a Lamborghini and had the brilliant idea of driving around his neighborhood, throwing wads of cash at people. Yep, that’s one way to ensure you’ll have no money left. The real kicker? He once carried around half a million dollars in cash in a suitcase and, unsurprisingly, had it stolen from his car outside a strip club. And that wasn’t the only heist—at one point, $200,000 disappeared from his vehicle. Who knew a suitcase full of cash might not be the safest option for a wallet?
Things got darker as personal tragedies mounted, including the tragic deaths of his granddaughter and her boyfriend at his home, and a long list of lawsuits. By 2007, Andrew was not only broke but dealing with bounced checks worth over a million dollars. His excuse? He blamed faulty slot machines. If only Vegas had a return policy on life choices.
Final Thoughts: Be Careful What You Wish For
These stories prove that winning the lottery doesn’t guarantee a happy ending. If anything, the sudden influx of wealth often brings more problems than it solves. From reckless spending to family feuds, addiction, and bad investments, these winners show us that managing money is a skill—one that most lottery winners unfortunately don’t have. So, next time you’re dreaming about hitting the jackpot, maybe think twice about what you’d do if your numbers came up. And for heaven’s sake, don’t buy a football team!
