The lottery is something many people dream about. Most people would think about what they would do with millions of dollars if they suddenly win the jackpot. Some people would purchase a new home, travel the world, or save for the future. But not everyone follows the standard path. There are lottery winners who buy weird stuff with their jackpots. Below are 13 of the weirdest (and questionable) items lottery winners have spent their money on through the years and what happened to them afterwards.
13 Lottery Winners Buy Weird Stuff
Debbie Mather: Fireworks Factory Owner
Debbie Mather earned $6 million in 2005. Instead of just buying fireworks for parties, Debbie Mather took a bold step and invested in her own fireworks factory. She had wanted to retouch her childhood experiences of watching fireworks light up the sky. This is actually quite an entertaining way of turning a dream into a business, even if it is rather strange.
Sarah Cockings: Plastic Surgery for the Family
At the age of 21, Sarah Cockings achieved significant success, earning $4 million. One of her first purchases was to finance breast enhancement surgeries for herself and her two sisters. This illustrates how lottery winnings can sometimes fulfill personal desires for both the winner and their friends and family.
Keith Gough: A Pricey Racehorse
Another example is Keith Gough from the UK, who spent £250,000 of his lottery winnings on a racehorse. For all his effort and money spent, his expensive hobby didn’t pay off, and he wound up broke. This is yet another example of how speculative investments can easily ruin even a big fortune.
Evelyn Adams: Millions Lost at Poker Tables
Evelyn Adams is one of the only people who won the lottery twice, but she also lost around $6 million playing poker. Her story serves as a caution that even the luckiest people can blow through it all if they if they are not careful with their money.
David Copeland: Landing on the Moon, Mars, and Venus
David Copeland won $1 million and decided to buy lands on the Moon, Mars, and Venus. Of course, you can’t actually live there, but he now has ‘property’ on other planets. I find this purchase dumb and somewhat pointless, yet it exemplifies how individuals can aspire to achieve big goals, sometimes too big, and dumb!
Roger Griffiths: Pursuing Music Fame
Roger Griffiths spent his $3.2 million prize on trying to make his college band famous. He was sinking so much money into the band in hopes of a hit. Unfortunately, the band never caught on, and he lost the money and the girl. This story makes me wonder if fame chasing with money never works out in the end.
Michael Carroll: Backyard Racing Circuit
At the age of 19, Michael Carroll amassed a fortune of $18 million. He used the money to construct a racetrack in his backyard for his high-end vehicles. Eventually, he went broke. His tale is a cautionary one about how quickly money can vanish when it’s used to fund stupid things.
Greta and Tony Dodd: New Knees for Dancing
Greta and Tony Dodd took home $3.4 million and spent some of it on new knees. They enjoyed dancing, but both had joint issues. After their surgeries, Greta and Tony Dodd returned to their favorite hobby of dancing. I support this decision because it improved their quality of life.
Peter Lavery: The Whiskey Business
Peter Lavery purchased a whiskey business with his winnings. His investment, unlike those of some other winners, actually paid off and continues to do so. That’s because some quirky buys can become savvy business moves.
Colin Weir: Soccer Team Owner
Colin Weir won $161 million and invested $2.5 million in the Partick Thistle Football Club. It is every football fan’s dream to own a professional sports club, and Colin made his dream come true with his winnings.
John and Linda Kutey: Building a Waterpark
John and Linda Kutey were part of a syndicate that won $319 million. They used their $28.7 million to create a waterpark in tribute to their parents. This is such a wonderful way to celebrate their family and give back to the community.
Jonathan Vargas: Female Wrestling Show
And then there’s Jonathan Vargas, the lottery winner who blew his winnings on an all-female pro wrestling show called “Wrestlicious.” Although the show only lasted a season before cancellation, Jonathan Vargas certainly found a creative way to spend his money.
Ronnie Music Jr.: Funding a Meth Operation
Ronnie Music Jr. reportedly invested in a meth distribution business after winning $3 million. This resulted in a 21-year prison term. A perfect example of how money can be used irresponsibly with disgraceful consequences.
What Can We Take Away From These Stories?
These tales demonstrate that winning the lottery doesn’t guarantee happily ever after. In reality, nearly 70% of lottery winners lose it all. Many people waste their resources on things that quickly fade away or fail to bring lasting happiness. Some sweepstakes winners use the money to pursue their dreams, assist family, or jump-start businesses. Others lose their wealth due to poor decisions or unethical behavior.
If I ever win the lottery, I would take my sweet time to think before spending any of it. That said, I can also see why it might be fun to use your money to do something fun or help make people’s dreams come true, even if that dream is odd.
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Sources:
- www.hot969boston.com/listicle/the-13-most-outrageous-purchases-made-by-lottery-winners
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