Do you have plan how to spend your lottery winnings? Have you ever thought about that? Let’s have a look at some stupid lottery winners. They certainly did not think inteligently, how to use those winnings in order to better their lifes in long term. Instead their strong emotions must have taken over parts of the brain which are responsible for sensible thinking.
Third Part of the series – 10 Stupid Lottery Winners
Source: Listopedia – YouTube
Let those stories to be warning sign for all future lottery winners. What should not be done with the lottery winnings.
Number 10: Gary Bond [00:14]
Gary Bond, a 32-year-old Carpenter from Haverhill, Massachusetts near Boston bought a state lottery scratch ticket, and won $1 million. That’s a pretty good chunk of change when you want to set yourself up for life. But instead of starting his own carpentry business, Gary ended up getting arrested because he put his entrepreneurial skills to criminal use. He intended trying his hand on a little sideline business. He was running marijuana growing operation. Also he was found with 21 grams of cocaine. Was that for personal use or for distribution, who knows? But maybe Gary should have taken a hint from his last name, and invested in stocks and bonds instead.
Number 9: Leroy Fick [00:50]
Michigan lottery winner, Leroy Fick, isn’t necessarily stupid. But he certainly is selfish and self-centered. Some people could say that continuing to receive government aid, like food stamps, and a bridge card, which allows you discounts in stores when you’re needy, certainly qualifies as stupid. Mr. Fick was considered poor before he won $2 million on the TV game show, ‘’Make me rich’’. Even though he had to pay more than half his winnings in taxes, he did afford to buy himself a property and a decent luxury car. So he couldn’t be considered needy after the game show win. Yet, because of a loophole in laws, he kept milking the system. Not exactly smart when thinking about the 805000 children who need food assistance programs in the state of Michigan. Thanks, Leroy.
Number 8: Timothy Elliott [01:40]
In the case of Timothy Elliott, you have to wonder who the dumb one really is in this story. Elliot bought scratch-off lottery tickets with money he stole. He was convicted of robbing banks for that money. He bought them while he was on probation. Plus, his probation stipulated clearly that he wasn’t allowed to gamble, purchase lottery tickets, or visit any establishment, where gambling is conducted. Yet, the judge said, his violation wasn’t serious enough to warrant jail time. Now that’s fine. There are way too many people in prison for offenses that aren’t dangerous. He’ll be receiving his winnings in 20 yearly checks of $50000 ($35000 after taxes). Mr. Elliot’s lawyer asked, ‘’Who would have any legal right to deny him his money?’’ Maybe his lawyer in legal fees. But let’s give poor Mr. Eliot a break. Apparently, he’s living with a schizoaffective disorder under supervision of the department of mental health.
Number 7: Arnim Ramdass [02:34]
In 2007, Arnim Ramdass won a shared lottery jackpot of $19 million, with his fellow airline mechanic co-workers. He decided not to share the information with his wife. Instead, he just left. After his wife confronted him with a postcard he’d received, congratulating him on the purchase of a new home. This generous guy left with his share of the winnings about a half a million dollars after taxes. I guess he’s not dumb. He’s just greedy and selfish and apparently, invisible.
Number 6: Dolores McNamara [03:11]
Dolores McNamara, Irish cleaning lady won the 77 million in EuroMillions lottery. Her life could have taken a change for the better. But instead, it made her crazy. All the bad stuff in her family’s past, stuff like ties to criminal bosses, and strange events that her son got involved in, started creeping up and becoming tabloid fodder. People said, she should have kept her mouth shut about winning. That’s what was so stupid, but how exactly do you do that when everybody wants to know who won such a huge amount of money. Poor Dolores became so paranoid, she started living in a secluded house with security cameras everywhere. Exactly the kind of life you don’t want when you win a fortune.
Number 5: 34-year-old Unnamed South Korean [03:50]
This young winner managed to stay anonymous. Unfortunately, his John Doe status didn’t make him any smarter. He won the 1.7 million won, the equivalent of $1 million 600 thousand dollars. He squandered his money frivolously, and quickly ended up broke. That’s when he became a professional smartphone and designer clothes thief. He was prosecuted in December 2012, and said that he should never have won the lottery and regretted the win. However, he had 10 lottery tickets on him when he was arrested. Sad story when people that could have been set for life just kept repeating the same mistakes.
Number 4: Hayley Tarry [04:31]
Hayley Tarry’s lottery win story could have been so fun and cute. She bought a lottery ticket in 2006. On Friday the 13th, she saw a spider run across her hand. I guess it worked, because she won over a half a million British pounds. Problem is, she just spent the money lavishly on gifts for friends and family. She also smartly bought property and repaid debts. Except after that, she cheated taxpayers out of £10,000 in Jobseeker’s allowance and council tax Benefits she wasn’t eligible for. Again, proof that winning a big amount of money doesn’t make you smarter, unfortunately. Tarry was sentenced in June 2012 and went to prison.
Number 3: John McGuinness [05:11]
Can you imagine going from winning 10 million British pounds, (equivalent of almost $13 million american dollars) to being 2 million in debt? That’s what happened to British hospital worker, John McGuinness. He certainly demonstrated that he did not have the sharpest mind. This guy burned through money faster than wildfire sweep through acres of forest. 1.5 million for gifts to his parents and sister. Very nice, but a bit over the top maybe. A half million on a fleet of cars. 200000 spend for a wedding. 750000 on gifts to his ex-wife. 4 million donated to the Liverpool Football Club. That’s not even the half of it. That’s what happens, when you leave your brain at the door.
Number 2: FreddieYoung [05:52]
Michigan native, FreddieYoung. He became a millionaire after a lottery win in February of 2011. But four months later, a judge froze that fortune. Freddie became a murder suspect. In June of that year, he was charged with first degree premeditated murder. He shoot to death owner of the flat, which his daughter was renting. Maybe, he should have bought his daughter a nice house instead. Anyway, Young will not be fitting his last name, after he gets out of prison in 25 to 30 years.
Number 1: Patty Bigbee [06:19]
Answer for this question:
How possibly a woman after winning a million dollars in the lottery, is getting arrested for trying to sell her grandson for $75000?
Because she wasted all that money in two years. She was desperate looking for money two years later. That’s Patty Bigbee’s story. This dumb lottery winner tried to sell her grandson to her daughter out of all people. She’d given up for adoption in 1983. The daughter contacted the police. The authorities decided to put the sting on Bigbee. They asked her daughter to call back and negotiate a $30000 price for the kid. When Bigbee and her 42-year-old boyfriend showed up at the drop off point, they were met by police. Once again, clear proof that money does not make you smart.
