Winning the lottery is the ultimate dream for many people: win millions of dollars for purchasing a ticket that only cost $5 dollars. Many people try playing the lottery while obviously only a select few win, let alone win it big. However strange things happen when you give common people millions of dollars over night; winning the lottery really changes you and your outlook on things. That “expensive” $100 steak dinner is now something off the dollar menu as your perception of currency and the value of the dollar is warped. There have been many people who win it big in the lottery only to loose it all, go bankrupt, or be thousands of dollars in debt only a few years later. We are going to take a look at some people who won the lottery only to become extremely poor a few years later.
5. Vince Taylor
Its rare enough to win the lottery. It is even more unlikely to win the lottery twice. Well thats what Vince Taylor of the U.K. did. Taylor first won around $2 million dollars the first time. He immediately used this money to move into a large house with a swimming pool and horse stables. He then got a taste for purchasing exotic cars and eventually spent all of his winnings shortly after. He got really lucky and won the lottery again, this time earning him close to $200,000 thousand dollars however a series of poor investments and covering the costs of his previous purchases made him broke. Rumors say that he took a job laying bricks to sustain a living after he lost it all.
4. Shefik Tallmadge
Shefik Tallmadge from America is the next on our list. He won $6.7 million dollars in the lottery and was quick to spend it to fuel his desire for travel. He used his money to cover his travel expenses as he spent an extensive amount of time traveling all over the world, primarily Africa and Asia. he soon got a taste for the finer things in life and started to purchase sport cars and nice homes. He filled for bankruptcy in 2006 after spending everything.
3. Rhonda Toth
Rhonda Toth of Florida won $13 million back in 1990 and she was very eager to spend it with her husband. They two spent their money on a variety of things and then in 2006 they were charged with tax evasion. The couple soon lost all of the money and resorted to powering their home via an engine of a car. Mr. Toth died while they were awaiting their trial and Rhonda had to serve 2 years in prison and was fined $1.1 million dollars.
2. Michael Carroll
19 year old Michael Carroll is next up on our list when he won around $15 million dollars back in 2002. He quickly determined that his new income would allow him to purchase 4 homes, a variety of luxury cars, and even some shares of a Glasgow football team. This spending spree lost him most of his money. He then had many run-ins with the law and served some time in prison. Since then he has ultimately lost all of his winnings.
1. David Lee Edwards
David Lee Edwards was a laborer who was searching for a job when he won $42 million dollars in the lottery. Like the rest of the people on our list, he figured it would be a good idea to buy a mansion with its own golf course, expensive supercars, and a variety of other expensive items. Edwards and his wife also developed a drug problem that sucked away a lot of their money, leading to their inevitable arrest.
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