He had more money than he could spend in ten lifetimes. A few years later, he was begging people not to play the lottery. His fortune was gone. His family was destroyed. His life was in ruins.
He’s not the only one. I found 7 lottery winners who went from millionaires to broke — some in just months. Their stories are heartbreaking. But they contain warnings you can’t afford to ignore.
This isn’t meant to scare you. It’s meant to protect you. Because the patterns are clear. These winners all made the same mistakes — mistakes you could easily make too.
If you ever win anything — even a small prize — you’ll want to know what destroyed these people. So you can avoid it.
Let’s start with the most devastating story of all.
Addiction. Betrayal. Family destruction. Even death.
But every story contains a lesson that could protect you.
💸 “I Wish I’d Torn Up the Ticket”
Jack Whittaker was already a millionaire when he won the biggest Powerball jackpot of his time. He didn’t need the money. He thought it would make life better. He was wrong.
Whittaker was generous. He gave to churches, started foundations, helped strangers. But generosity made him a target. Thieves robbed him repeatedly. One time they took over half a million from his car. Twice.
Then came the real losses. His granddaughter — the person he loved most — died from a drug overdose. His daughter followed. His wife left. His house burned down. Lawsuits piled up.
Years later, Whittaker gave interviews warning people about lottery wins. “I wish I’d torn up that ticket,” he said. “I don’t have any friends anymore.”
⚡ Gone in 3 Months
David Lee Edwards won a massive Powerball jackpot in 2002. After taxes, he walked away with about 12 million. Enough to live comfortably forever. He burned through 3 million in the first 3 months.
Mansions. Dozens of luxury cars. A private jet. A limo company. Edwards bought everything he’d ever dreamed of — all at once. By the end of year one, the 12 million was gone.
Then things got worse. Edwards and his wife spiraled into drug addiction. They lost everything and ended up living in a storage shed surrounded by filth.
Edwards died in 2013. Alone. Broke. In hospice care. He was 58 years old. His fortune had lasted less than 5 years.
🎰 She Won Twice. Lost It All.
Evelyn Adams did something nearly impossible — she won the New Jersey lottery twice. Back to back years. 1985 and 1986. Total winnings: over 5 million. She should have been set for life.
But Adams had a secret. She loved gambling. Atlantic City became her second home. She kept thinking she could win more. Instead, she lost everything she’d already won.
She also gave too much to family. Made bad investments. Trusted the wrong people. By the 2000s, she was living in a trailer park, working two jobs just to survive.
The kicker? As of 2016, she was still buying lottery tickets. Still chasing another win. Some patterns are hard to break.
👥 His Own Brother Tried to Kill Him
Bud Post was broke when he won 16 million in 1988. He’d pawned a ring for 40 bucks just to buy the tickets. The win should have changed everything. It did — but not how he expected.
His ex-girlfriend sued him for a share of the winnings. And won. His brother hired a hitman to kill him and his wife, hoping to inherit. The brother went to prison.
Post made terrible investments with family members. A restaurant. A car business. All failed. Within a year, he was over a million in debt. He ended up in prison himself after shooting at a bill collector.
When Post died in 2006, he was living on Social Security. “I was much happier when I was broke,” he once said.
💔 Back to Riding the Bus
Sharon Tirabassi was a single mom working low-wage jobs when she won over 10 million in 2004. It felt like a miracle. Finally, she could take care of everyone she loved.
And she did. Houses for family. Cars for friends. Designer clothes. Exotic trips. Loans to anyone who asked. She said yes to everything.
Less than a decade later, the money was gone. All of it. Tirabassi found herself back on the bus, working part-time, renting a small house.
Unlike other winners, she doesn’t seem bitter. She says she learned valuable lessons. But she’s proof that even good intentions can drain a fortune.
🎭 The Pattern Repeats
Willie Hurt won over 3 million in 1989. His winnings fueled a crack addiction. Within two years, he was broke, divorced, and charged with murder.
Michael Carroll won 15 million at age 19. The tabloids called him the “Lotto Lout.” Drugs, parties, cars. A decade later, he was back working as a garbage collector.
Suzanne Mullins won over 4 million but ended up deep in debt after borrowing against her remaining payments.
Different people. Different amounts. Same outcome. The patterns don’t lie.
🎯 The 7 Mistakes That Destroyed Them
After studying these stories, I found the same mistakes appearing over and over. Almost every winner who lost it all made some combination of these seven errors:
1. Going public — They became targets
2. No budget — They treated money as infinite
3. Gambling the winnings — Trying to win more
4. Trusting family blindly — Bad investments with relatives
5. Saying yes to everyone — Giving until nothing was left
6. No professional help — No advisors, no lawyers, no plan
7. Upgrading everything at once — Lifestyle explosion
✅ What Smart Winners Do Instead
Not every winner loses everything. Some quietly build wealth and live comfortably for decades. What’s different about them?
They stay anonymous when possible. They hire advisors before claiming the prize. They wait months before making any big purchases. They say no — a lot.
Most importantly, they don’t change everything overnight. They take time to adjust. They protect themselves. They treat the money as a responsibility, not a reward.
📝 The Real Lesson
✅ Winning can destroy your life if you’re not prepared
✅ The same 7 mistakes appear in almost every failure
✅ Overspending, addiction, and bad advice are the biggest killers
✅ Smart winners stay private, hire help, and wait before spending
✅ Having a plan BEFORE you win is the best protection
These stories aren’t meant to discourage you. They’re meant to prepare you. Because if you do win someday — even a small amount — you’ll know exactly what NOT to do.
🔮 Coming Tomorrow
Not all big winners fail. Some handle it right and thrive for decades. Tomorrow: the biggest jackpots ever won — and what those winners did differently.
Tomorrow: The Biggest Powerball Jackpots Ever — And Who Won Them
Keep an eye on your inbox.
Sources: GOBankingRates, Business Insider, Yahoo Finance, Moneywise, Associated Press.
Andrew Brooks is a qualified writer and researcher with experience producing clear, trustworthy content on topics such as personal finance, lifestyle optimization, consumer insights, productivity, and informed decision-making. With an approachable yet professional tone, he focuses on turning complex information into practical, easy-to-understand guidance that helps readers make smarter choices with confidence.