Tatts life: lotto wins that ended in feuds, tears, addictions and empty bank accounts — in record time

With a record $200m up for grabs in Thursday’s Powerball, we look back at lotto wins that ended in tears, feuds or poverty. We also reveal some of the craziest things winnings were splashed on.

To win the lottery — turning a life of battle, graft and grind into one of luxurious, mortgage-free, work-free and carefree bliss — is the dream of millions of Aussies.

For many, a lotto win does indeed deliver enduring happiness — along with huge homes, flash cars and the sort of relaxing lifestyle most can only imagine.

For some, however, it ends in tears — as families and friends fight, fortunes are frittered and money corrupts.

A record $200m will be up for grabs in Thursday’s Powerball draw, after there was no winner in last week’s highly anticipated $150m game, and the prize pool jackpotted.

It’s estimated half of all adult Australians will buy a ticket, in the desperate hope of picking the winning numbers and changing their lives.

But be careful what you wish for Aussies, because here are some of the famous cases where winning the lottery ended in misery.

There are also cases where lottery winnings have been lost in record time — and more than a few people who have spent their surprise millions on very unusual investments.

LOTTO WINS THAT ENDED IN TEARS

2024: “It’s destroyed people’s lives”

William John Bampton’s lotto win led to a court case.

The life of William John Bampton, 92, from Twin Waters on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, changed after winning a $986,000 lottery jackpot in March 2018.

But it turned sour when he tried to claw back a $300,000 “gift” to his daughter.

According to a Brisbane District Court ruling, Mr Bampton put down a $50,000 deposit on a four-bedroom Mountain Creek home shortly after winning the lottery.

He later paid an extra $505,030 to purchase the property in co-ownership with his son Larry Bampton.

In August of that year, he gave $300,000 to his daughter, Suzanne Elaine Vourlides.

The transaction became contentious when Mr Bampton sought to have the cash set aside, alleging he was unduly influenced or subjected to unconscionable conduct by Mrs Vourlides.

Mr Bampton claimed an argument with his daughter in early August 2018 left him feeling “overwhelmed” with no choice but to make the payment, according to court documents

On the other hand, Mrs Vourlides maintained that her father willingly gifted her $300,000 of his own accord.

Judge Suzanne Sheridan said she did not accept “that Mrs Vourlides took unconscientious advantage of Mr Bampton”.

The win has been described as “one of the tragic lotto stories”.

“I am prepared to accept that the gift was fair, just and reasonable in the circumstances,” she said.

Mrs Vourlides said the dispute had crushed her family.

“At the end of the day, I’m over it, quite frankly, it’s destroyed people’s lives. The whole thing is terrible,” she said.

Larry, the brother caught in the turmoil, revealed his father had ceased communication with him.

“No one’s a winner out of this, it just destroys everyone in the family,” said. The worst thing that ever happened was that he won the million dollars. One of the tragic lotto stories.”

2014: A Power of trouble

Gary Baron was a truckie who organised a lucky lotto syndicate for his workmates, that led to national headlines when a ticket won and trouble started.

After Mr Baron became a millionaire overnight, he disappeared and started living a secret life of luxury.

A former Toll courier, Mr Baron in 2014 had been in charge of collecting $20 from his workmates for a lotto syndicate in a $50 million Powerball jackpot draw.

He won $16.6m and disappeared.

Mr Baron worked at Toll’s North Geelong depot but stopped showing up for work after he won the millions. He claims he won the money on a separate ticket he bought.

The day Mr Baron found out he won the money he called in sick to his job and then resigned.

He then started spending big, buying houses and fancy cars, including a BMW M4 convertible worth almost $200,000.

One of the 16 workers in the syndicate was Janette McConnell, who was also Mr Baron’s girlfriend.

Gary Baron’s lotto win led to a power of trouble. Picture: Seven News

She bragged on social media about the luxury lifestyle and even posted a selfie of herself in the passenger seat with windblown hair on Facebook. She captioned it “team bad boy Baron”.

The extravagant car wasn’t his only splurge either. Mr Baron bought a new home in Lara, near Geelong, for more than $600,000 and bought his two kids a house and a car.

After winning the millions, he lied to his workmates and said it was inheritance.

Just days after Mr Baron won his prize, Tattersalls released a statement about a Victorian man who won $16.6m in a $50m Powerball, who wanted to remain anonymous.

“I’m still in disbelief … I don’t need that amount of money, it’s too much for me,” the prize winner told a Tatts official.

“I’m going to share the prize money with my family. I’ll make sure it doesn’t change who I am but I’ll definitely be able to live a better lifestyle, with a few more toys. I love being out on the water so I’ll buy myself a boat and a jet ski, and my kids have been wanting the new iPhone 6 so they can have that now and I might spoil them each with a new car.”

Gary Baron was accused of keeping his syndicate’s lotto winnings. Picture: CH7

Mr Baron’s workmates expected if they won, they would all get a slice of the pie and they became suspicious and approached Mr Baron about his lotto win and decided to sue him.

Mr Baron released a statement seven months after his win and said he won the lotto off a ticket he brought with $46.60 of his own money.

Fairfax Media reported Mr Baron did that just days before spending $520 on 10 tickets for the syndicate. He used the same account to purchase the syndicate ticket and his own.

“The syndicate games were completely unrelated to my personal favourites game which was the successful ticket,” he said.

Mr Baron did not tell his workmates what had happened but he said in hindsight he should have explained.

“I never cheated my workmates and I am disappointed that the matter has become so public and that my name, family and home have become so widely publicised,” he said.

Around the time Mr Baron made his statement, two of his former colleagues, Gary Georgeson and Wayne Connor went to Mr Baron’s house to confront him.

“He walked out dressed like Hugh Hefner in his terry towelling dressing gown. Driving around in a $200,000 black BMW sports car,” Mr Georgeson told A Current Affair.

Gary Georgeson confronted Gary Baron, who he said dressed like Hugh Hefner. Picture: ACA

Mr Georgeson told A Current Affair he asked Mr Baron if he had won the money.

“I asked him if he’d won $16.6m and he stood there and looked me in the eye and said, ‘yes, I did’. I asked him why straight out he didn’t just come and tell us,” he said.

The long-running battle between 14 of the 16 work colleagues and Mr Baron finally ended in 2017, the same day the civil trial on the issue began.

The group suing Mr Baron advised the court the case had been resolved.

2006: Lotto winner’s brother allegedly hired hit man

William “Bud” Post won US$16.2m in the Pennsylvania lottery in 1988, but was $1m in debt within a year.

“I wish it never happened,” Mr Post reportedly said. “It was totally a nightmare.”

A former girlfriend successfully sued him for a third of his winnings, and his brother was arrested for allegedly hiring a hit man to kill him in the hopes he’d inherit a share of the winnings.

After sinking money into family businesses, Mr Post sank into debt and spent time in jail for firing a gun over the head of a bill collector.

“I was much happier when I was broke,” he said.

Bud reportedly lived quietly on $450 a month and food stamps until his death in 2006.

BLEW THE LOT

2022: Money brought hedonistic lifestyle, drug addiction

Instead of being a life-changing windfall, Joshua John Winslet’s multimillion-dollar lottery win descended into a hedonistic lifestyle of drugs and partying that ended with him facing an Adelaide court.

Winslet pleaded guilty on August 27, 2022, to two counts of supplying MDMA, possessing an unidentified firearm without a licence, possessing ammunition without a licence, and failing to keep a gun and ammunition safely as required.

Judge Heath Barklay said Winslet’s troubles began when he won the lottery and lapsed into an indolent and “hedonistic” lifestyle.

“In August 2020, you were hopelessly drug addicted, leading an aimless life, consuming drugs and hanging around with the wrong people,” he said.

After Winslet won nearly $22.3m in 2017, the court was told he stopped working as a plumber and started regularly using drugs.

“Because of the money that you had won, there was no motivation on your part to work or do anything other than enjoy yourself,” Judge Barklay said. “You had lots of money, so you could afford to buy large amounts of drugs, which you would use yourself and supply to your so-called friends from time to time.”

He sought treatment for his drug addiction and enrolled in a drug rehabilitation centre interstate, where he planned to return after sentencing.

Judge Barklay sentenced Winslet, then 27, to three years and nine months imprisonment, a sentence that he then suspended in favour of a two-year good behaviour bond.

2005: Lotto win was a ‘poisoned chalice’

Britain’s Roger and Lara Griffiths won 1.8m pounds in a UK lottery in 2005 but blew the lot on luxury cars, business deals, expensive clothes, luxe brand handbags and a jetsetting lifestyle.

Roger also spent money reuniting the rock band he was in as a teenager.

At one point, he earned almost $700 in interest every day, but a series of ill-advised deals resulted in his cash disappearing fast.

The 42-year-old British father of two took to YouTube and told the media that his lottery win had been a “poisoned chalice” after it led to the break-up of his marriage and the loss of the family home.

He had paid close to $50,000 to make a record with his old band, FMB, which ended up selling just 600 copies.

An investment he made also went bad, resulting in the loss of the couple’s home and the end of their marriage.

“I had it all, but now it’s gone,” Mr Griffiths said years later.

“I’ve been borrowing money from my parents, that’s how bad it is … looking back the lottery win was like a poisoned chalice.”

Money can go quickly when the new life lived is large.

2002: Winnings blown on wine, women and fast cars

Michael Carroll won £9.7m in the UK’s National Lottery in 2002 but within eight years was bankrupt and living on unemployment benefits. He had blown the lot on women, booze, drugs, fast cars and gambling.

CRAZY THINGS LOTTO WINNERS SPENT ON

A water park

After cashing in a US$319m Mega Millions jackpot for a share of $28.7 million in 2011, John Kutey and his wife Linda decided to donate a portion of the winnings to building a water park in honour of their parents. They donated $200,000 to construct Spray Park in Green Island, New York.

Legalise marijuana campaign

After buying lottery tickets for 43-years, Canadian activist Bob Erb became US$25m richer in 2012 after buying a lottery ticket on the way to his father’s funeral. The seasonal construction worker planned to continue working and donate his wages to the food bank. He also directed U $1m of his winnings towards supporting marijuana legalisation.

Female wrestling show

Jonathan Vargas won a US $35.3m Powerball as a teen in 2008, and splashed his cash on creating a wrestling show with scantily clad women called Wrestlicious, that wasn’t a great success. He later expressed some regret about how he spent his winnings, when he was 19.