It was just a few days ago that people were freaking out about the Powerball being $800 million. Those were simpler times. A few more drawings, a ton of tickets sold and no winners later — Powerball is now at 1.5 BILLION and people are really starting to lose their minds. It’s the first North American lottery more than $1 billion, and the fact that one more draw with no winner puts a potential future winner into billionaire category with a lump-sum payout is historical and blows Charlie and his silly golden ticket out of the water. Pfft, millionaires. How passé. The billionaire community looks down upon those plebes like fans of Batfleck are sneered at by Michael Keaton purists. If I’ve learned anything from Silicon Valley, it’s that.
Before dreams of million-dollar Wu-Tang albums and subterranean fortresses with unlimited power generation and fresh water dance in your head, be aware that if you do win the Lotto, things could turn ugly. Or deadly.
Many winners of large sums of money have ended up penniless and living with the humiliation of blowing their money on frivolous things. It’s death by a thousand paper cuts from Excel spreadsheets they discarded from potential money managers. Others have been straight-up murdered.
To remind everyone to be responsible with their potential winnings, we threw together this video of Lottery horror stories. Beware! (But also, don’t worry too much; the chances of you winning are about as good as you continuously being struck by lightning wherever you go.)
