Posted on 04/08/2007 6:25:41 AM PDT by rightwingintelligentsia
On Christmas morning in 2002, Jack Whittaker woke up to perhaps the biggest gift imaginable. Whittaker had won the Powerball lottery jackpot -- a whopping $315 million.
"I got sick at my stomach, and I just was [at] a loss for words and advice," Whittaker said. "You know, I was really searching for advice, and it's, like, Christmas Day."
It was a made-for-TV Christmas story, and Whittaker's hardworking family became celebrities overnight. Whittaker's wife, Jewel, and their granddaughter Brandi Bragg would appear on no fewer than eight television shows. But as Whittaker celebrated his good fortune, he had no way of knowing that he was embarking on a journey that would lead to tragedy and the loss of everything he held dear.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.aol.com ...
After winning a lottery, your first line of business after jumping up and down like an idiot is to contact a lawyer asap. A good one. Dont reveal your name and only work through the power of attorney.
I would then diversify my money through multiple banks and live off the interest only. Set up trust funds but never telling the kids of them until they become adults. Treat your life just as you did previously and keep yourself busy. Idle hands lead to ugly work.
Most of my donations would be done anonymously. I would like to do things spontaneously to people I find deserve it.
I also wouldnt quit my job because I like it so much.
Yeah. Like....whathisname. Yeah!
DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING!
NO more calls, please.
We have a winner!
Also useful by the fathers of teenage daughters.
Cheers!
When you get that kind of money, you don’t instantly have all your problems solved. You just trade them in for different problems.
Wasn’t there an article on FR this past week concerning these type of lotto winners?
99% of the large winners ended in hard ship worse then their previous life style.
Which explains why congress acts the way it does with our money.
Lotteries are a tax on the gullible.
I win the lottery every week. The dollar I don’t flush down that toilet is available for investing or spending.
Agreed. I’d find a beautiful spot in a isolated area.
lol
“I’d find a beautiful spot in a isolated area.”
Yup. The only things I would need to make me happy would be esay access to a super Wal*Mart and a Sonic drive in. :)
LOL
*easy*
After winning a lottery, your first line of business after jumping up and down like an idiot is to contact a lawyer asap. A good one. Don’t reveal your name and only work through the power of attorney.
I would then diversify my money through multiple banks and live off the interest only. Set up trust funds but never telling the kids of them until they become adults. Treat your life just as you did previously and keep yourself busy. Idle hands lead to ugly work.
Most of my donations would be done anonymously. I would like to do things spontaneously to people I find deserve it.
I also wouldn’t quit my job because I like it so much.
And, I believe you would do as you describe.
Too bad this poor fellow couldn’t possess some of your intelligence!
When people are raised as poor as Jack has described, they just aren’t able to handle large sums of money.
Unfortunately I have one grand son, and his father is destroying him by buying him expensive, everything. I have begged my daughter to put a stop to it , she says she has no control over my son in law. I have explained, at age 63 I have witnessed many children destroyed by this extravagance
spent on children.
He is 15 and, a very bright child. In school he seldom get anything lower then A’s in his studies.
His dad says, he didn’t have anything while growing up with an alcoholic father and, his child wouldn’t have to live like he did.
It’s not surprising that a simple, undeducated man, who pulled himself out of poverty by sheer work ethic was unable to handle unearned wealth.
He did make sincere efforts at philanthropy and generosity to church and charities.
But reckless spending on his immature, underage undisciplined grandchild was the cause of his family’s destruction.
There will be more of these tragedies.
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