A Sad but True Texas Lottery Winner Story ....

http://www.lottoreport.com/TXWinnerSuicide.htm | Nov 24, 2004

[DirtyHarryY2K]

A Sad but True Texas Lottery Winner Story

Originally Posted: Nov 24, 2004 Revised:

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Less than two years after Billie Bob Harrell Jr. took the $31 million lottery jackpot, he took his own life Harrell, a former Pentecostal preacher, was a Home Depot stocker when he hit the jackpot.

Billie Bob's (Mis) Fortune
BY STEVE MCVICKER
Houston Press
From the Week of Thursday, February 10, 2000

Many have the same dream: finding the six magical numbers that unlock the treasure known as the Texas Lottery. Then life would be good. Problems would vanish. There are even the collective fantasies of what to buy and with whom to share this new, instant wealth.

Billie Bob Harrell Jr. shared those common visions by common souls seeking the salvation of sudden fortune.

And in June 1997, he found it.

He sat in his easy chair one evening and looked at his Quick Pick and then at the Sunday newspaper. Harrell studied the sequence of numbers again and began to realize the wildest of notions. He and wife Barbara Jean held the only winning ticket to a Lotto Texas jackpot of $31 million.

Harrell, a deeply religious man, knew he had a godsend from heaven. After being laid off from a couple of jobs in the past few years, Billie Bob had been reduced to stocking the electrical-supply shelves of a Home Depot in northeast Harris County. He was having a damn hard time providing for himself and Barbara Jean, much less for their three teenage children.

Every Wednesday and Saturday those kids were on his mind when he'd scrape together a few spare dollars to purchase a couple or so lottery tickets. Sometimes he'd use the sequence of his children's birth dates to choose his numbers. Other times he'd let the state's computer do his choosing for him. That random selection finally paid off, transforming Harrell into a millionaire overnight on a warm evening in June.

The hard times were history when he arrived in Austin about a month later, with an entourage that included his family, his minister and his attorneys, to collect the first of 25 annual checks for $1.24 million.

Life had been tough, he said at the formal lottery ceremony, but he had persevered through the worst of it.

"I wasn't going to give up," said Harrell, then 47. "Everyone kept telling me it would get better. I didn't realize it would get this much better."

In fact, it was great. At least for a while. Harrell purchased a ranch. He bought a half-dozen homes for himself and other family members. He, his wife and all the kids got new automobiles. He made large contributions to his church. If members of the congregation needed help, Billie Bob was there with cash.

Then suddenly Harrell discovered that his life was unraveling almost as quickly as it had come together. He relished the role of being an easy touch. But everyone, it seemed -- family, friends, fellow worshipers and strangers -- was putting the touch on him. His spending and his lending spiraled out of control. In February those tensions splintered his already strained marriage.

And on May 22, 1999, 20 months after hitting lottery pay dirt, Harrell locked himself inside an upstairs bedroom of his fashionable Kingwood home and stood at the point of no return. Investigators say he stripped away his clothes, pressed a shotgun barrel against his chest and fired.

Billie Bob Harrell was gone forever. So was the fortune, and even the family that had rejoiced with him when the shower of riches had first rained upon them. A schism has widened between the children and grandparents, who cannot even agree on whether Billie Bob took his own life. And an intrafamily war looms over the remnants of the fortune, which may not even be enough to pay estate taxes.

Perhaps the only thing not in dispute about his life and death is the jarring impact of money: It may not have caused his problems, but it certainly didn't solve them.

Shortly before his death, Harrell confided to a financial adviser: "Winning the lottery is the worst thing that ever happened to me."

[Freebird Forever]

No, late Mr. Harrell, winning the lottery was NOT the worst thing that ever happened to you. Your own weakness in letting yourself be bankrupted by fake-o sob stories from every con artist and new "friend" that came down the pike was the worst thing that ever happened to you.

Exactly.

Unrestrained liberalism takes another victim.

[pctech]

You are a smart mouth aren't you? Too bad they don't give prizes for being the most unfeeling sarcastic freeper, you'd win hands down.

[Gorzaloon]

What sort of man asks for help unless he is starving? I

I guess you never knew a coke or gambling addict. Good.

The "emergencies" that always seem to show up usually reflect enough creativity that the person could make a good living at nearly anything, if they were not crippled by a habit.

[lt.america]

I remember listening to a talk radio about 10 years ago going through Ohio and a man called in and said his uncle had one the lottery 2 years before but donated every last cent to charity because he was tired of the same things this article describes.

[Mustng959]

Sad that a God-fearing man ended his life tragically.
When Tennessee got the lottery, one could hardly get into a convenience store to pick up a loaf of bread or make a gasoline purchase. I have not played the lottery for several reasons...foremost, I am not poor, I have a loving family and pretty good health so I shall never be poor. Secondly, I believe that any wealth I accumulate on earth comes from the sweat of my brow and my calloused hands. Through perseverance, my debt will be paid off by me and my family's needs will be met.
The Bible also associates gambling with events in Jesus's life (throwing out the money changers in the temple and the Roman soldiers casting lots to win his garments). I am expected to do an honest day's work and I have faith that the Lord will provide.

[lt.america]

I feel the same way. I may even get dramatical and through a wad of money at them on the way out of the door (always wanted to do that one).

[azhenfud]

That was exactly my thoughts...;-)

[lt.america]

Sounds like his wife will have the good sense to tell these hangers on where the door is.

[Taquito]

When you win the lottery, the first word you have to learn to say is NO.

[NoControllingLegalAuthority]

The winning of a lottery carries a burden. Everyone, including the winner, knows this money was not "earned." That creates dynamics of entitlement to those around the winner and the guilt of the winner in a refusal to share.

If money were the key to happiness, the wealthy would be deliriously happy without a care in the world. It is often just the opposite.

For a truly believing Christian, money is transitory because life itself is transitory and there is no pocket in the burial shroud.

There is a moral to this story and it's not "if you win, tell everyone to go to hell, become a hermit and keep every penny to yourself."

My personal favorite is the guy who gave every penny of his winnings to charity. I think he "gets it."

[asgardshill]

I've always felt that some people are simply physically unable to handle large amounts of money. The closest analogy I've been able to come up with is the "buck fever" that inexperienced hunters sometimes get when they get a nice buck lined up in their sights.

It just goes to show you that wisdom is a rare thing.

[Mamzelle]

I believe it could very well be true. All you have to do is watch the typical slide of celebrities into disaster.

I watched something similar happen to a family--one got rich and they all went crazy.

Easy money and tinhorn celebrity--it'll ruin you and kill you.

[jwpjr]

Sad isn't it? I have no qualms with those who spend their money on lottery tickets. My argument is with the politicians who sell the idea by promising the money will fund education and then use it to supplant, not add to, funds already being spent for schools.

[quadrant]

This man's story is tragic but the events of it are of his own making.
If you win the lottery, you must leave the area for a while - let the dust settle and your emotions abate so to speak - during which time you must make no decisions about the disposition of the money.
You must not become a fountain of funding. That is, you must learn how to say no, even if it hurts the feelings of those you love. Pick a couple of charities that are close to your heart and contribute to them on a modest but regular basis.
Do not purchase cars or houses for relatives, especially children. As with charities, give them modest financial gifts from time to time, but insist they earn their own living.
If you purchase a home for yourself, purchase one that an middle class or upper middle class person would buy and not one that the richest man in town would own.
Do not purchase the most expensive car available. Pick out one that does not proclaim that you are newly rich.
Do not be idle. Remember the old saw about idle hands. Continue to work, even if its only for a charity.
Most importantly - remember this windfall is a gift from God, and He will hold you accountable for your stewardship.

[American Vet Repairman]

"Perhaps the only thing not in dispute about his life and death is the jarring impact of money: It may not have caused his problems, but it certainly didn't solve them."

I am going to be so bold to say something that will tick people off but I have to say it. This man was an idiot. Sure he may have been a Christian but I have doubts. Not all of Israel is Israel. This man had a chance to change a part of the world but he made unbiblical decisions. If he did committ suicide than good riddance. I am not going to work full time, go to college, feed my family, manage my home, spend quality time with my wife (who is scared of me going back to active duty) and try to contribute to others needs, and feel empathy for this man.
He found out that he was worthless to others before the money came around. There was something in him that knawed and knawed till he cracked.

[lowbridge]

The problem is that if the State doesn't do it the Mafia will.

The only difference is that the Mafia lets you keep ALL your winnings.

[TheSpottedOwl]

There was good advice at the end of the page. I think the first thing someone should do if they should win, is to keep their mouths shut until they talk to their financial advisor. Don't have one, hire one. Do not talk to family about it, and don't cash in that ticket until you're ducks are in a row. If you're smart, you can make your money grow.

I can just see what kind of hell family will put you through if they think you have money. Have it locked up for everyone's own good. If I should ever actually win, I've already envisioned the insanity that would follow.

Having said that, I'm going to try and remember to pick up a ticket this afternoon ;-)

[PokeyJoe]

yeah, that's why I only spend a dollar a week on it. (high odds are better than no odds)

[Eaker]

but I would tell them to go bob for snapping turtles.

I am guessing that the person who goes first always wins????

Funny!!!

[AmericaUnited]

This man was an idiot. Sure he may have been a Christian but I have doubts.

Godly princliples related to wisdom and money work even for atheists.

The richest (for his day) and wisest man who ever lived, Solomon, wrote a tremendous amount on these subjects in Proverbs, essentially saying again and again that "A fool and his money are soon departed."