Sudden fortunes have triggered tragedy for several past lottery winners whose lives unraveled in a haze of drug and alcohol abuse, debt — and even death.
Powerball numbers are chosen in the drawing at the Florida Lottery on Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2012, in Tallahassee, Fla. The numbers drawn in the $579.9-million game were: 5, 16, 22, 23, 29 and Powerball of 6. (AP Photo/Phil Sears)
Phil Sears/AP
Powerball numbers are chosen during Wednesday night's drawing.
So you're not the $580 million Powerball winner? You didn’t have the winning numbers 5-16-22-23-29 and the Powerball of 6?
Stop pouting and start celebrating.
Sudden fortunes have triggered tragedy for several past lottery winners whose lives unraveled in a haze of drug and alcohol abuse, debt — and even death.
“Winning the lottery can create as many problems for people as it solves,” said New York-based certified financial planner Judy Haselton, president of Harmony Financial Advisors.
The Powerball jackpot climbed to $580 million by the time of Wednesday night’s drawing, making the cash option $379.8 million.Skyrocketing sales prompted lottery officials to jack up what was a $500 million pot, already the highest in Powerball history.
Winning tickets for the record jackpot were purchased in Arizona and Missouri, Powerball officials said early Thursday morning.
But anyone wishing to become an instant multimillionaire would be wise to consider the plight of some past winners.
POWERBALL TICKETS
Hortcina Martinez of Houston hopes to be Powerball winner.
Jack Whittaker, of West Virginia, won a $315 million Powerball jackpot in 2002. He was robbed of $545,000 in cash while at a strip club, his granddaughter died of a drug overdose, and he was sued by an Atlantic City casino for bouncing $1.5 million in checks.
Christopher Manzi, who split a $14 million Mega Millions jackpot, offered some blunt advice for whoever brings home the big Powerball prize: “Pack up and move. Actually, don’t even pack up. Just move.”
Manzi said he’s learned some valuable lessons since pocketing $3.5 million in October. The 44-year-old New Jersey millionaire says the key is having a plan and sticking to simple guidelines:
l Keep anyone who asks for money at “arm’s length, including your in-laws.”
l Ignore all phone calls from people claiming to be “brilliant money managers,” and go with a reputable, big-name firm instead.
l Before you even claim your ticket, get a lawyer and a financial adviser and start building a strategy.
Source: http://www.nydailynews.com
No comments:
Post a Comment