How lottery jackpots and prizes changed winners’ life?

Lottery Winner Success Stories

Yes, it is hard to win a lottery, even just one time and a small prize.

For example, you have one chance in 12 million to become an astronaut while you need to compete with more than 292 million other tickets to win a lottery. Admittedly, it is rare to win a lottery, but it is not impossible.

We have seen lottery jackpot happened to people. But there is always the curiosity of how people’s life after their winnings are. This article will help you explore this topic. 

Winners get new lives after winning lotteries

Cynthia Stafford

In 2007, Cynthia Stafford received the news that she won $112 million in the Mega Millions lottery game. After her winning, She shared with The Balancing Act talk show that she even invoked for the winning amount by writing down the number $112 million on a paper, sticking it on the wall, and keeping believing that someday it will come true. 

After winning, her life changed positively.

Besides expensive assets she bought as luxury cars, houses, and abroad trips for herself and her family, she has done many other meaningful things. When struggling with the financial issue before the lottery win, she lost her five kids to foster care for a while. Thus, after the jackpot, she could bring them home, settle down college funds for all, and share her winning to help her family as her dad and brothers were going through financial problems. She also made dozens of donations to many organizations such as UNICEF, God’s Love We Deliver to help people with AIDS and hunger, and other organizations that help kids and foster care systems. Not only that, Cynthia even got to manifest her long-term dream as becoming a film producer and opening her own entertainment production company. 

Mavis Wanczyk

Mavis Wanczyk won a vast Powerball’s jackpot on 23rd August 2017, which amounted to $758.7 million. She claimed back $336,350,655 after paying out taxes and other fees. After that, she shared with the press release that she finally called to her workplace and said she would not come back anymore after earning a huge amount of money. Hence, people only knew she lived her comfy life in Chicopee. 

Lerynne West

Won a part of $687.8 million Powerball’s October 2018 jackpot, Lerynne West claimed back nearly $198 million in one payment, and that amount affected her life significantly.

She was a 51-year-old grandmother of six kids in 2018 when she won the lottery. She appeared on Ellen’s show; she shared that she grew up with no money, and she just bought her first house ever in the age 50s just before she won the lottery. Her sister drove her on a truck to a convenience store to have lunch, and she also bought a Powerball lottery ticket with an Easy Pick option. She did not know that she won on the drawing day, and she even almost lost her ticket when it fell off and stayed on her sister’s truck. 

After winning, she had done many charities and donations for the community. She committed and gave the cheque with $500,000 to Travis Mills Foundation.

Besides supporting several organizations for good causes, Lerynne used the rest of her winning to enjoy a comfortable life with vacations and to buy new assets with her family. 

The regretful stories of lottery winners

Andrew Jackson Whittaker Jr.

Before winning a 2002 Powerball’s jackpot, Andrew was the president in a construction company in West Virginia. He had been working there for about 12 years. This ticket helped him win a $314.9 million and brought home a total of $113.4 million cash after taxes.

He used 10% of his money to do Christian charity activities, used millions of dollars to build a church, and donated $14 million for Jack Whittaker Foundation’s establishment. The organization aimed to provide low-income people in West Virginia with food and necessities.

He was generous while offering a hundred-thousand-dollar house, luxury car, and $44,000 cheque to the woman who served him at the store he bought the ticket. 

He has involved in legal and family problems.

In 2007, once again, Andrew reported that the thieves visited him again, faked his identity, and took 12 checks from 12 different City National Branches. Now he just wishes that he had never won this jackpot, and this winning totally ruined his life.

However, bad luck came when he was visited by thieves once at a strip club’s parking lot. There, he was drugged and rob by two staff members from the club. He has involved in legal and family problems. His daughter and granddaughter were found dead with no specific reason. Another time, he was sued by bouncing a $1.5 million cheque to cover his losses at the casino’s slot machine. In 2007, once again, Andrew reported that the thieves visited him again, faked his identity, and took 12 checks from 12 different City National Branches. Now he just wishes that he had never won this jackpot, and this winning totally ruined his life.

Michael Carroll

Michael Carroll won his lottery ticket with £9.7 million when he was 19 in 2002. Then, Michael had a wild free life with parties, deluxe accommodation, and attended to demolition derbies.

After ten years, he ruined all of his money and returned to hard life when he needed to work seven days a week as a coal delivery man. During ten wealthy years, Michael had more than 30 times stood trial in courts due to drug issues, blew all of his money to his pleasures together with alcohol, prostitutes, and drugs and had nothing left now. However, he told the press that he did not regret it since he had the best ten years of his life. He said that he would also do the same experience if he could have a chance to win again.