Local

Here’s what happened to previous local jackpot winners after the frenzy faded

ORLANDO, Fla. — Once again Friday, the United States will hold its breath, clutch their tickets and hope their lives will change forever.

>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<

The billion-dollar dream has only happened a few times in the nation’s history, and many conversations turned to talk of trips, cars and helping family.

READ: If I had a billion dollars: What experts say you should do first if you win the Mega Millions

Central Florida is quite familiar with what happens when someone gets a stroke of luck. The land from Polk County to Palm Coast is home to numerous winners of prizes ranging from $1 million to a third of the biggest jackpot in history.

While there are some stories of people changing their lives forever, most people wind up squandering their money through ill planning, bad advice or greed – or a combination, according to estate attorneys who sat down with Eyewitness News.

“Those that win that kind of money often don’t have it very long,” attorney Kristen Jackson said. “They see it and they say, ‘Oh my god, I can go get a Maserati,’ and there they go. That’s just the beginning.”

Jackson said she has dealt with a few lottery winners over the course of her career, but likened them to the inheritance and settlement clients she takes on.

“In the long run, instead of investing it or at least stepping back and saying, okay, chill out for a minute… they go out and start spending,” she said.

Fellow Estate Attorney Paula Montoya placed a lot of the blame on friends and family.

“If they know you won the lottery, the chances are they will ask you for a gift or for a loan,” she said. “You’d be surprised.”

However, some families get smart and hire attorneys and tax advisers while remaining as private as possible. They were able to set themselves – and their children – up for life by a series of well-thought out financial decisions.

WFTV rounded up some stories reporters covered over the years that represent a mixed bag of outcomes:

READ: Mega Millions jackpot: Can you buy lottery tickets online?

1988: Winter Springs’ Sheelah Ryan won $55 million, which was the largest individual jackpot in American history at the time. She set up a foundation a few months after she won to donate her money to an array of causes. The foundation continued its work long after her death from cancer in 1994.

2006: Polk County’s Abraham Shakespeare won $30 million. His savings dwindled over time until he disappeared in 2009. The next year, his body was found under a concrete slab. His financial adviser and friend, Dee Dee Moore, is now serving a life sentence for his murder after originally claiming she helped him leave the area.

2013: Gloria MacKenzie won a $590 million Powerball prize. Six years later, she sued her son and his financial advisers in a Jacksonville court, claiming they squandered her money and charged her millions of dollars in fees.

2016: A Seminole County woman won $1 million on a lottery ticket. A court later decided she had a verbal agreement to split winnings with her ex-boyfriend and ordered her to give half of her after-tax earnings to him, but she said she already spent it. She later filed for bankruptcy.

2016: A Melbourne couple took home a third of the largest Powerball jackpot in history. A year and a half later, their neighbors told Eyewitness News that the couple hadn’t changed, except for retiring.

Despite the stories they told, both attorneys interviewed Friday said they purchased tickets.

“The largest pot I’ve ever won is 100 bucks,” Jackson said. “So, I’m in.”

The two practically echoed each other when asked how they’d handle such a large windfall.

“Of course, I wouldn’t tell anybody,” Montoya said. “Then, I would talk to an accountant.”

READ: Mega jackpot: What you should do if you win lottery jackpot, can you stay anonymous

Jackson said she’d spend a lot of time thinking – and keeping her mouth shut.

“Realize what you’ve got,” she explained. “Most people don’t ever have a chance to win that kind of money, and if you’re one of the lucky ones. Don’t blow it.”

Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.