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 ...
The house always win.
“To each their own. I equate the lottery as a fun chance to dream of having financial security. I play rarely and when It gets to a certain point. Is that any different than paying 15 bucks for a movie ticket? Or bowling or a pack of cigs?”
If that’s your entertainment, fine. Personally, I feel that I get something finite to enjoy with movie tickets or bowling.
I used to travel regularly to Vegas for business. A couple times I dumped $10 just to try it. The gambling experience is not a thrill to me. I would get a sick feeling when I lost it. My free time would generally be spent exercising, catching up on paperwork or in the video game room when I was there.
To that end, spending just one dollar on the skinniest of chances to becoming financially free gives you infinitely more of a chance than bowling or a movie. Which is how a responsible lottery bet should be waged.
Ill agree with you a thousands times over for habitual lotto buyers who choose the ticket over medicine or food.
Bragg's friend Jessie Tribble was a drug user too. In September 2003, Tribble was found dead of a drug overdose in a house owned by Whittaker.
Someone poisoned the quadrotriticale!
Well, I don’t know the exact law, but if one could claim the grand prizes anonymously, the potential for fraud by government and lottery officials would be massive. Knowing the propensity towards human beings to steal when a large enough prize presented itself, this guy would never have won a prize this massive because some beaureacrat would have stolen it and remained anonymous. In fact, that is probably what would happen every week.
Also, I do believe winners have to agree to have their names and likenesses used in advertising for said contest in order to claim their prize. But I could be mistaken...JFK
The only problem with that is those frauds can't produce a winning lottery ticket like a legit attorney working with you can.
You should photocopy a winning ticket and place it in a safe deposit bank at a reputable bank then contact a lawyer. When the time comes to presenting the ticket, the lawyer will then request it and it all can be done secretly and without fanfare. You and the lawyer wins as his cut will be a lottery in a way for him so getting a credible lawyer is pretty important. A sleazy lawyer might swindle you in some way.
To clarify, a trust will most likely be setup and the money “givin” to that. Someone (or some group of people) won $265 million in the Mega Millions lottery in Ohio recently and used a trust to claim the prize without revealing the identities of anyone involved.
Usually a group of people will do that and to ensure fairness but also done to allow anonymity.
"By the time Whittaker won the lottery, he said, he was doing $16 million to $17 million worth of work. He enjoyed years of success with few complaints, but less than a year after winning the lottery things began to change.
Rob Dunlap, one of Whittaker's many attorneys, said Whittaker has spent at least $3 million dollars fending off lawsuits.
"I've had over 400 legal claims made on me or one of my companies since I've won the lottery, " said Whittaker.
When asked why that might happen, Whittaker said it's because "everybody wants something for nothing."
Can you imagine having over 400 claims against your hard-earned business? Yuck. It's hard enough having to defend yourself against one lawsuit, even if it is frivolous.
All of it could have been avoided if he would have followed common sense and kept his mug out of the news papers and nightly news.
If you want a normal life, then don't interrupt it with one day of fame telling the whole world you are now fair game to beg to.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.