Sharon Tirabassi: Won more than $10 million in 2004. She spent it on cars, houses and designer clothes and parties. Eleven years later, the money was gone and she went back to working part-time.

Andrew Whittaker: A millionaire many times over before he even won the lottery, won $315 million in 2002. He donated much of it to charity and started a foundation. He also gave $50,000 to the woman who sold him the winning ticket.

Lara and Roger Griffiths: Won $2.76 million. After six years, the couple divorced.

Billie Bob Harrell: A former preacher who won $31 million in 1997. He mismanaged his money, lost his family, and ultimately committed suicide.

Illini Roncaili: Won $5 million in 1991. She gave $2 million to a child she mothered with another man. When her husband found out, he murdered her. He was later found guilty of manslaughter.

Barry Shell: Won $3.8 million in 2009. He took a photo of himself claiming his prize and published it in the local paper. This led authorities to arrest him, as he had a warrant out for his arrest.

Evelyn Adams: Won the lottery twice for a total of $5.4 million. She then gambled her winnings away in Atlantic City.

Freddy Topous Jr.: Won $57 million in 2008. He was a registered sex offender.

Juan Rodriguez: Won $149 million. His wife divorced him and the court awarded her half of his winnings.

Amanda Clayton: Won $1 million in the Michigan Lottery. She kept trying to receive food stamps even after she won.

Abraham Shakespeare: Won $31 million in 2006. A fellow trucker accused him of stealing his ticket. The court sided with Shakespeare, but Dorice Donegan Moore mismanaged his money, and eventually, Shakespeare was murdered.

William Post III: Won $16 million. Two weeks later, he bought a restaurant and an airplane. Three months later he was $500,000 in debt, filed for bankruptcy and went to jail for firing a gun at a bill collector.

The Totts: A couple who won $5 million. When they went to collect their money, they had lost the ticket. They were unable to collect any of their money.

Tonda Lynn Dickerson: A former Waffle House employee who assured her coworkers she would share her lotto winnings if she won. She did not share the money and was taxed for over $1 million.

Gerald Muskegon: Won $10 million in Canada. He spent all of his money on partying and drinking in seven years.

Suzanne Mullins: Went into debt shortly after winning the lottery.

Americo Lopes: Promised his coworkers he would split the money with them, but he did not. A court eventually ordered him to split the money.

Michael Carroll: Won $15 million in 2002. He spent all of it on cocaine, prostitutes and cars. After five years, he tried to get his old job back as a garbageman, but was unable to.

Willie Hurt: Won $3.1 million. He subsequently got divorced, lost his children, became addicted to drugs and was charged with attempted murder.

Denise Rossie: Won $1.3 million and left her husband. When he divorced her, a judge ordered she pay him alimony.

Janite Lee: Won $18 million and donated it all to charity. She now has credit card debt, a gambling problem and is bankrupt.

Luke Pittard: Won almost $2 million in 2006. He spent the money on travel, a home and a wedding. Now he works for McDonald’s.

Alex and Rhoda Toth: Won $13 million and lost it within 15 years. Alex died and Rhoda served two years in prison for tax evasion.

Vivian Nicholson: Won the lottery in 1961. She spent all of it on designer clothes. She is now unemployed and has been married five times.

Callie Rogers: Won $3 million in England when she was 16 years old. She spent all of the money, went bankrupt and now works as a cleaning lady.

Alex Ahsoak: Won $500,000 and donated it to a non-profit that he started to help victims of sexual abuse. Ahsoak himself was found to be a sex offender.

Jose Antonia Cua-Toc: Won $750,000 and gave it all to his boss because he was afraid of being deported. A judge ordered his boss to pay him back the winnings.

Stuart Donnelly: Won the lottery and became a recluse. He was found dead in his home in 2010.

John McGuinnes: Won $10 million. He spent his money on family members, bought cars and traveled.

Keith Gough: Won the lottery in 2005. He spent most of it on alcohol and gambling. He then lost his wife and became an alcoholic.

Peter Kyle: Won the lottery in the U.K. in 2005. He tried to collect welfare shortly thereafter and ended up in debt.

 

 

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