Beware the lotto curse: When instant riches ruin your life

WE ALL dream of getting filthy rich overnight, but maybe we shouldn’t. These people’s lives were all wrecked by their lottery wins.

When winning the lottery ruins your life

WHEN you heard about the Queensland couple who had scooped the entire $70 million Powerball jackpot last week, did you instantly think: “I wish it was me”?

Did you wonder how a series of random numbers on a paper ticket would now utterly transform their lives?

Well, this might make you think twice.

Those lucky Queensland grandparents from Hervey Bay may soon find that a pile of free money can actually lead to a whole stack of trouble in what one psychologist has labelled the “terrible freedom” that befalls lottery winners.

The couple plans to travel the world after becoming the largest Powerball winners in Australian history. Their lives will never be the same again. But that has also been the case for many before them, for whom a lottery fortune has led to nothing but bad luck. In fact, some have even lived to regret it.

From jackpot millionaires who blew their winnings in record time, fell victim to vultures and even ended up murdered, these are some lotto fairytales that ended in ways no one expected, and as the US Powerball jackpot climbs past a staggering $2 billion dollars, they serve as a warning: Be careful what you wish for.

‘I SLEPT WITH 4000 WOMEN’

As lotto disasters go, they don’t come much bigger than Michael Carroll. The one-time UK garbage collector with a criminal past was just 19 when he won $15.5 million (£UK9.7 million) in 2002 and was quickly dubbed the “Lotto Lout” after infamously showing up to collect his winnings while wearing an electronic offender’s tag for drunk and disorderly behaviour. He proceeded to fritter away the lot on drugs and prostitutes in a wild party that lasted 10 years, sleeping with up to four hookers a day at one point.

Where did he find the energy, you ask? Mr Carroll admitted smoking more than $3,000 worth of crack cocaine a day to help him stay awake. It wasn’t long before his wife took their daughter and moved out of their $500,000 home.

“I’ve slept with over 4,000 women,” he told The Mirror in 2012 after blowing every penny of his fortune on vice. “I once slept with more than 20 in one day.

“Money is the root of all evil. It brings out the worst in people.”

His luxury fleet of vehicles were rendered useless when he found himself banned for drink driving and he was jailed twice following his big win. He now blames boredom for his downward spiral.

“You just try and find things to do. There’s only so many times you can go on holiday. I must have been to Spain a hundred times. I kept missing flights back and just staying.”

He later admitted life without the money was much easier but twice attempted suicide after finding himself back on the dole with nothing to show for his decade of excess.

Died penniless and alone ... Keith Gough with his ex-wife Louise thought he’d never have to worry about money again. Wrong.

MONEY STRESS ‘BROUGHT ON HEART ATTACK’

Keith Gordon thought he’d never have to worry again when he won $14 million (£9 million) in 2005. How wrong he was.

The happily married baker from Shropshire, UK, died penniless and alone from a heart attack that was blamed on his money stress after he quit his job, invested in dud racehorses and hit the bottle hard.

Mr Gough’s wife of 25 years left him and he was admitted to rehab for his drinking and in one final insult, was fleeced of more than $1 million by a con man.

Again, boredom was the culprit.

“My life was brilliant. But the lottery has ruined everything. What’s the point of having money when it sends you to bed crying?” he told The Times before his death in 2010.

“I thought the lotto win was going to be the answer to my dreams. Now those dreams have turned to dust.”

Sixteen-year-old Callie Rogers holds up her winner’s cheque. It was all downhill from there.

‘MY LIFE IS A SHAMBLES’

In 2003, British teenager Callie Rogers won $3 million (£UK1.9 million) at 16-years-old, making her the country’s youngest ever lotto winner. In record time, she lost the lot.

She lavished family and friends with expensive gifts, blew thousands of dollars on huge nights out, bought herself breast implants and designer clothing and spent an eye-watering $415,000 on cocaine. But none of it made her happy.

Reportedly cheated on by a boyfriend, she tried to take her own life and within six years, all of the money was gone.

Rogers, who became a mum after winning — and losing — her fortune, was forced to go back to juggling three cleaning jobs and living with her mother.

“My life is a shambles,” she said in 2009. “It’s ruined my life.”

By 2013, a 26-year-old Rogers had just $3300 left in her bank account, but said she’d finally found happiness now the money was gone.

“It was too much money for someone so young. Even if you say your life won’t change, it does and often not for the better,” she told The Sun.

“My life revolves around the kids and, if they want something expensive, they wait for birthdays and Christmas. I’m glad they’ll grow up knowing the value of money.”

It’s worth noting that not all young lotto winners are so irresponsible. Melbourne woman Allison Cooke, then 19, won $1.5 million in a BoysTown raffle in 2012 but didn’t buy herself so much as a new dress, and certainly never considered quitting her job packing books in a warehouse.

“Have I been partying ever since? No. I’m one of four kids from a single-parent family doing it tough and Mum has instilled in me the value of a dollar,” she said at the time.

Sensible young lady.

Melbourne accountant Peter Joseph Kelly “saw crimson” when his client and friend won the lottery and began spending her fortune.

ACCOUNTANT KILLS LOTTO ‘WASTER’

When New South Wales woman Maria Lou Devrell won $5 million in 2011, she had no idea how much danger it would put her in.

Peter Joseph Kelly was Ms Devrell’s accountant and had known her and her husband for 20 years when the couple struck it lucky, according to the Herald Sun.

After their windfall — and frustrated by Ms Devrell’s “wasteful” spending habits — Kelly murdered his client with a rubber mallet in a fit of rage.

“A situation emerged in which they were spending money more quickly than it was being allocated to them by the offender,’’ Justice Robert Allan Hulme said in sentencing Kelly to a maximum of 18 years in jail in 2012.

“He seems to have had the attitude that they were being wasteful.’’

A soft touch ... Abraham Shakespeare gave away money to anyone who asked. It got him killed. Picture: Supplied

‘MONEY WAS THE ROOT OF EVIL’

Florida man Abraham Shakespeare won a $40 million ($US30 million) jackpot in 2006 but had a tragically short time to enjoy it.

Just three years after his win, Mr Shakespeare, 42, vanished and by 2010, his dead body was found under a concrete slab. He’d been shot to death.

Dee Dee Moore, a stranger who befriended him after his win, was eventually found guilty of his murder after conning him out of $1.8 million — a paltry sum, really, in comparison to his total winnings.

A court heard Mr Shakespeare had already given away most of his money — to anyone who asked for it — by the time he was murdered.

“Abraham Shakespeare was your prey and victim. Money was the root of evil you brought to Abraham,” a judge later told her. She’s serving life without parole as battles continue over his estate.

Dee Dee Moore preyed on Mr Shakespeare after his $30 million win. (AP Photo/The Lakeland Ledger, Ernst Peters, Pool)

Andrew ‘Jack’ Whittaker didn’t need the money. He was already a rich man when he won $450 million. (AP Photo/Jeff Gentner)

‘I WISH I’D TORN THAT TICKET UP’

To call Andrew “Jack” Whittaker one of the unluckiest lotto winners ever may be an understatement.

The West Virginia businessman, who was already a wealthy entrepreneur when he won what was then America’s largest ever undivided Powerball prize of $450 million ($US315 million) faced a series of unfortunate events in the immediate aftermath of his 2002 windfall.

Mr Whittaker had over $745,000 worth of cash stolen, uncovered a plot to drug and rob him, and was sued by a casino. Then his granddaughter and her boyfriend both passed away from drug overdoses in his house.

But Mr Whittaker was left completely devastated when his daughter was also found dead, “I wish I’d torn that ticket up,” he later said of his lotto “curse”.

‘TERRIBLE FREEDOM’ OF A LOTTO FORTUNE

Winning a life changing amount of money often sees relationship dynamics break down. Psychologist Zoe Krupka believes it’s not just money management that can help protect lottery winners.

“It gives you a terrible freedom,” she told news.com.au. “There needs to be a step before financial counselling. Couples need to talk about how they want to spend their money and who they want to share it with.

“It can highlight a huge difference between couples that they’ve never had to deal with before”.

Telling relatives, friends, colleagues and neighbours can be a minefield and is the reason some lotto winners chose to remain anonymous or keep their windfall a secret. It can actually put winners in real peril.

“People need advice on how to share the news,” she said. “It’s not a secret you can keep forever but sometimes it’s not safe for people’s extended family to know.

“The reality is, it can be good for lots of people, but there’s no doubt it’s always really stressful.”

Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.