We all dream of winning the lottery someday without even giving it a second thought. Imagine having the financial freedom of being able to afford that house you’ve always wanted or that sports car of your dreams.
While Winning The Lottery can be a blessing for most people, this isn’t always the case. In fact, there are a few cases where lives were ruined just because someone won the lottery. Here are some of those cases.
Abraham Shakespeare
He won the $30 million lottery jackpot in 2006 after buying a lottery ticket at a convenience store. He was a very generous person and gave financial help to his friends and families.
He also promised that the money wouldn’t change him.
His generosity caught the attention of a woman named Dorice Moore, who approached Shakespeare and offered to help him manage his money. However, Moore didn’t want to just manage his money, she wanted to have it all.
Moore killed Shakespeare and buried his body in a field and stole his money. She made up a story of him wanting to leave town, which convinced people that Shakespeare was only in hiding. Moore made it look like he was still alive by sending his family messages from his cell phone. Moore also sent gifts to Shakespeare’s son.
Shakespeare’s family grew suspicious and eventually reported him as missing. The police found his body, arrested Moore and sentenced her to life in jail.
Andrew “Jack” Whittaker
He instantly became famous in 2002 after winning the $314 million Powerball jackpot. He was able to bring home a lump sum of $113 million, after taxes.
Whittaker was also generous; he donated money to churches and created charities to help people find jobs, among others.
However, people began taking advantage of his generosity by asking him for money.
People started showing up at his home to tell him their sob stories to give them financial help. They got even angrier when Whittaker refused to give them money.
Whittaker started visiting strip clubs and also started a gambling habit. He often brings with him a briefcase that contained half a million in cash. At one point, he was drugged and had his briefcase stolen, although the money was later recovered.
He was also fond of his 15-year-old grandchild named Brandi. Whittaker gave her everything that she wanted. Brandi became addicted to drugs due to this new found fortune and was sent to rehab.
Brandi went missing and her body was later discovered wrapped in a plastic tarp and illegal drugs were discovered in her system. Her death put a strain on Whittaker’s family that caused him to divorce his wife of 42 years.
