Most people think winning the lottery is a dream, but for these seven unlucky lottery winners, their prize was much more tragic. Meet the seven people who won the lottery and continued on to suffer as a result. You won’t believe these stories.
Number Seven: William Post III. It really was mo’ money, mo’ problems for William Post III. He won $16.2 million in 1988, but he spent his money so recklessly that he was $500,000 in debt after just three months. He eventually had to file for bankruptcy and went to jail.
Number Six: Keith Gough. Keith Gough won $14 million in 2005, and at first, everything was normal. However, after he quit his job at a bakery, he started to drink in excess, and eventually his wife left him. He went to rehab and met a man who duped him out of his money. He eventually died of a heart attack, that was likely a result of the stress he experienced.
Number Five: Michael Carroll. Michael Carroll made the textbook mistake of all lottery winners: spending it all in one place. He won nearly $16 million in 2002, but instead of investing it, he bought drugs and spent even more money on prostitutes. By 2003, he was smoking approximately $3,000 worth of crack…every day! He spent all his money and now lives on unemployment benefits.
Number Four: Janite Lee. Janite Lee was a South Korean immigrant who won $18 million in 1993. While she put a lot of her money toward philanthropy, she sold the rights to her annual payment, which eventually had her spiraling into bankruptcy.
Number Three: Callie Rogers. In 2003, Callie Rogers won three million dollars. The 16-year-old bought many things for her loved ones, including cars and beautiful vacations. However, she also decided to get breast implants and spent a lot of money on partying. By 2009, she was bankrupt and committed suicide twice. She moved in with her mother and accepted her life of poverty with gratitude.
Number Two: Jeffrey Dampier. After winning $20 million in 1996, Jeffrey Dampier started a popcorn business and bought many things for his family, including his sister-in-law, with whom he was having an affair. Things took a turn for the worse in 2005 when his brother and sister-in-law turned on him. His brother tied Dampier and his wife up with rope and made her choose between Dampier and himself. She had to shoot Dampier to survive.
Number One: Evelyn Basehore. Finally, one of the unluckiest lottery winners is Evelyn Basehore, who won $5.4 million in – get this – two separate jackpots. However, she squandered her money by spending too much on friends and family, and she also fueled her gambling habit.