Join the Fun!

Earguy , Dario Fernandez Ruz / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

30 People Who Know A Lottery Winner Share What Actually Happened To Them I had a patient, a hairdresser who owned her own shop, who won about 6 million. Her winnings were announced in the local newspaper.

She consulted the right professionals, worked a plan to sell her salon, and mapped a way to retire on her winnings without a change in her lifestyle.

But she told me that she had old boyfriends, and even guys that barely knew her in high school, who called her with some variation of, "you know I always loved you..."

She just laughed and blew them off.

Final score:

167points

POST

Gillbella 1 month ago

Good on her!

57points

Dvaone , Ron Lach / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

30 People Who Know A Lottery Winner Share What Actually Happened To Them I won $250k on a $5 scratch off 8 years ago.it was right before Christmas and i had been fired 2 weeks befor. After taxes we got a check for $167k and some change. Paid off all credit cards, bought the wife a brand new honda accord, bought a small business. Lived off it for the next several years while I grew my business and my wife got her masters. It was life changing!

Final score:

143points

POST

pyanfaruk 1 month ago (edited)

In the UK there aren't any taxes on lottery winnings. What you win is what you get.

76points

anon , Ben Mack / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

30 People Who Know A Lottery Winner Share What Actually Happened To Them Mom won a bit and was able to get my siblings and I new clothes and move out so she didn't have to stay in an abusive relationship.

Final score:

135points

POST

glowworm2 1 month ago

Good for mom!

47points

hornblower_83 , Craig Adderley / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

30 People Who Know A Lottery Winner Share What Actually Happened To Them Friend won 1 million. They paid off their house. Saved for their kids education and basically don’t live paycheque to paycheque anymore. Both of them still work full time.

Final score:

132points

POST

Breadcrumb. 1 month ago

That's what I'd do..since houses cost a million dollars now.

39points

Kriskao , Ksenia Chernaya / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

30 People Who Know A Lottery Winner Share What Actually Happened To Them I won 1500 US dollars. Received like 950 because taxes. Donated it all to an orphanage in my home country because I was doing ok with money. Since then there have been times I needed the money but I don’t regret it.

Final score:

130points

POST

Pyla 1 month ago

Awesome

46points

Mandalasan_612 , Kampus Production / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

30 People Who Know A Lottery Winner Share What Actually Happened To Them My sister's ex won around $150 million. Nicest guy, his brother manages the money so he doesn't blow it. Living his best life, money never changed him, because he was already so chill. Dude deserves it after putting up with my sister. Helped out my niece (not his daughter) with college.

Final score:

125points

POST

SirWriteALot 1 month ago

"Dude deserves it after putting up with my sister" ouch :-)

63points

Punkrockid19 , Mario Amé / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

30 People Who Know A Lottery Winner Share What Actually Happened To Them My dad

He hit 5 outta 6 numbers in 1989 won like 16 grand. Payed off the family debts spent the rest on a computer and started his own business out of our dining room. Bout to sell it for a couple million this year. One ticket literally changed our lives.

Final score:

122points

POST

Pyla 1 month ago

Nicely played

28points

Burnsie312 , Anna Shvets / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

30 People Who Know A Lottery Winner Share What Actually Happened To Them I won 2000 on a scratch off once! Fixed my missing tooth lol.

Final score:

118points

POST

Grooks 1 month ago (edited)

Good on you! :D

26points

CaseyBoogies , Felipe Cespedes / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

#10

30 People Who Know A Lottery Winner Share What Actually Happened To Them My MIL won 33k on a scratch-off, she paid off some debt and got new windows installed on her house. The new windows in an 1890s farmhouse are amazing, don't think I've seen a happier woman!

Final score:

113points

POST

Fussy1 1 month ago

New windows in a 1890's farmhouse is a solid investment for sure. Probably enjoyed much warmer winters and lower heating costs too. Win win win situation!

9points

Kahazzarran , neil kelly / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

#11

30 People Who Know A Lottery Winner Share What Actually Happened To Them My neighbor won the lottery in his sixties, it was something like 1.2 million in the late 90s. We lived in a trailer park in a rural part of the US, a pretty low cost of living area so the money stretched pretty far.He bought his trailer and land outright with the money and pretty much just spent everyday drinking on his porch and yelling at his goats. IIRC he used a good chunk of what he won to put his son and grandkids through college. Died of liver failure at like 85 or something. Not a terrible way to do it, all said and done.

Final score:

110points

POST

ggus44 1 month ago

Ah yes, that's the life, drinking and yelling at goats 😝😂

75points

Blondefarmgirl , Asad Photo Maldives / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

#12

30 People Who Know A Lottery Winner Share What Actually Happened To Them Friends of ours won 30 mill. They took a group of us on vacation. Bought a cottage and built a house not much really changed. They are doing great.

Final score:

102points

POST

Edward Treen 1 month ago

Nice people.

21points

#13

30 People Who Know A Lottery Winner Share What Actually Happened To Them Neighbor won a few millions, built an old folks home, named it after his mother and she refused to live there.

pascontent , Matthias Zomer / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:

96points

POST

Pyla 1 month ago

The backstory would have interesting

43points

PigStickerOnStone , Joice Rivas / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

#14

30 People Who Know A Lottery Winner Share What Actually Happened To Them I knew a welder who won a 30 million jackpot.

He retired, bought two Ford GTs and spends his time doing yardwork, playing low stakes poker tournaments, and raising his two young kids.

His wife bought a crib from me used for their second child.

Final score:

87points

POST

Family's_disappointment 1 month ago

Sounds like they are very nice people 😊

14points

#15

30 People Who Know A Lottery Winner Share What Actually Happened To Them I know someone who won $100,000 (after taxes) in his 20s. He bought his dream vehicle, a $20k motorcycle. The rest he used as a down payment on a house. It wasn’t life-changing money, but enough to give him a jump start on adult life. Kept his day job.

cozy_fyre , Nicholas Dias / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:

84points

POST

This panda votes 1 month ago

I'd call that life changing for sure!

2points

Unable-Astronaut-677 , William McAllister / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

#16

30 People Who Know A Lottery Winner Share What Actually Happened To Them My aunts husband won $36 million. They bought property and travelled. He liked to fish and drink and build stuff. He passed away 3 years ago, but he was an awesome dude.

Final score:

83points

POST

Pyla 1 month ago

That is life changing

16points

Nythoren , RDNE Stock project / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

#17

30 People Who Know A Lottery Winner Share What Actually Happened To Them I know 2 people who have won significant sums (well, significant for me).

First guy won $100k back in the early 2000's. Him and his wife agreed to split it between them. She bought a car. He slowly lost most of his half over the course of a couple of years playing in poker tournaments.

Other people aren't friends, but I see them a few times a year. They won $61 million in 2013. They bought a home in my mom's neighborhood (lakeside property, but priced in the $200k - $500k range back in 2013, depending on which lot). I'd met them several times before finding out that they were "screw you" rich. You'd never know they were more than a regular retired couple who had enough money in the bank to take cruises and such. They are some of the most down-to-earth people I know; nice cars, but nothing fancy, etc.

Final score:

76points

POST

Antonia 1 month ago

good people

14points

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#18

30 People Who Know A Lottery Winner Share What Actually Happened To Them Two people, actually. One was a friend of mine in high school who won $15k on a scratch and win. She rented a house downtown and threw a party. Somebody said I should stop by and check in on her, because they'd been down to the party and hardly recognized anybody. Sure enough, I got there, my friend met me on the door, put waaay too much money in my hands and told me to go get a bottle of wine. She just partied with whoever was around until it was gone, took about three weeks.

Next was a friend of mine from Toronto who is mostly known for doing zombie walks. She won a 'cash for life' dealio and I think it's around ten thousand a month. She bought a theramin and started making 50s-style monster movies and is generally living a high-rolling rockabilly lifestyle.

greihund , Filipe Pinho / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:

75points

POST

Pyla 1 month ago

Frankly, I respect both decisions

34points

anon , Daria Obymaha / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

#19

30 People Who Know A Lottery Winner Share What Actually Happened To Them My wife, she got me. That’s basically the lottery. She feels differently.

Final score:

71points

POST

SirWriteALot 1 month ago

"She feels differently" haha :-)

52points

Woman Put A Water Fountain With A Camera In Her Yard, Here Are 24 Photos Of Regular Visitors (New Pics)

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#20

30 People Who Know A Lottery Winner Share What Actually Happened To Them My uncle won $85k take home in the fantasy 5.

He spent the next month changing it into small bills and keeping it his in his garage.

My aunt never found out.

Anytime he wanted to make a purchase that was a little more than she would approve, he would act like the worlds best saver and break out all these smaller bills and pretend he saved it all.

He bought a newer bass boat and motorcycle among other things.

He’s my hero.

anon , Karolina Kaboompics / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:

66points

POST

Pyla 1 month ago

He sounds a bit douche canoe to me.

62points

Bruised_up_whitebelt , RDNE Stock project / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

#21

30 People Who Know A Lottery Winner Share What Actually Happened To Them A family friend won $200k. Payed off his student loans, put a down payment on a house and saved/invested the rest. He is an accountant. So not life altering but definitely set himself up good for his life.

Final score:

62points

POST

Slowdown 1 month ago

I love how some of these posts are "paid off debt and bought a house, but not life-changing money". Uhhhh, being debt-free and owning a home are HUGE!!

77points

NBA-014 , Cons Mardec / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

#22

30 People Who Know A Lottery Winner Share What Actually Happened To Them Yep. A friend won the big Canadian lotto. Won 7 figures. Bought a beautiful home on Vancouver Island and kept his job with the BC government.

Final score:

60points

POST

Breadcrumb. 1 month ago

That's the only way to afford vancouver island

22points

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#23

30 People Who Know A Lottery Winner Share What Actually Happened To Them My stepdad's brother won 4.3m 20 years ago. Still chillin. Invested in real estate and kept rolling them over for profit.

anon , Expect Best / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:

56points

POST

Pyla 1 month ago (edited)

-2points

0100100012635 , Josh Hild / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

#24

30 People Who Know A Lottery Winner Share What Actually Happened To Them Worked with a guy who won like $3k/week for life on a scratch off. He continued working for like 6 months before he bought a truck and went and lived the O/O life in the oil fields of North Dakota. Bought everyone pizza on his last day.

Final score:

52points

POST

Megan Johnson 1 month ago

What is "the O/O life"?

17points

No_Consequence_7806 , Ana Benet / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

#25

30 People Who Know A Lottery Winner Share What Actually Happened To Them When I was 10 in late 70’s my friends family won 3 million. I went to his house to see if he was coming out. The house was empty and they were gone and I never saw him again.

Final score:

48points

POST

Pyla 1 month ago

That’s ~ 14-15 million in today’s money

14points

ChickenBootty , fauxels / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

#26

30 People Who Know A Lottery Winner Share What Actually Happened To Them When I worked at a bank I helped a guy deposit a $300K+ check. The man looked like a regular guy, dressed in dockers and a polo, drove a 90s or 00s Camry type car, at first I was wary of the amount of the check but we got to talking (and I called to verify the check) and he said that he won something like $15million and this was his yearly check.

I always thought that was really smart of him to not draw attention to himself by dressing casual and driving a “beater”. At the time I looked up his address and he did have a nice house on the water, I’m sure he has other fancier cars but you wouldn’t know.

Final score:

47points

POST

Marcos Valencia 1 month ago

OP is using client's sensitive data for the sake of personal curiosity.

21points

Woman Moves Out Of Parents' Home After They Asked Her To Give Her Space To Brother, They Freak Out

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#27

30 People Who Know A Lottery Winner Share What Actually Happened To Them A woodwork teacher from high school won the lottery twice, I think it was [only] around 250k each time, so he didn’t quit his job - but he completely gave up on trying to keep the class under control, he’d usually just show us YouTube videos of him racing superbikes in the countryside

He gave me a decent grade for a clock I made at least.

helenemayer , Max Fischer / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:

46points

POST

Michael Largey 1 month ago

If you plan to keep on working, why would winning lotteries affect your classroom management style?

13points

perkasiedude , Akshay Shende / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

#28

30 People Who Know A Lottery Winner Share What Actually Happened To Them I sold mortgages for a bit and talked to a lady who was dead broke, in mountains of debt and was trying to consolidate debt and refinance her house.

Through the course of conversation, it came to light that she won almost $4 million playing the lottery (and took home ~$2 mil after taxes) about 3 years earlier.

She was in bad financial shape, so I asked what she did with all the money and how she got into the situation she was in, and she honestly had no idea.

Her words were essentially "We took a few trips, bought 2 new cars, paid off the house and stuff, but I have no clue how I spent $2 million and racked up over $100k in credit card debt in 3 years.".

Final score:

46points

POST

Pyla 1 month ago

Lifestyle upgrades are financially ruinous with a finite windfall

22points

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#29

30 People Who Know A Lottery Winner Share What Actually Happened To Them Coworkers sister won 2mil. 6 months later asking him, and me, at our job, for help to feed her children.

FullBloomMushroom , MART PRODUCTION / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:

44points

POST

Pyla 1 month ago

Damn, woman.

21points

yakfsh1 , MART PRODUCTION / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

#30

30 People Who Know A Lottery Winner Share What Actually Happened To Them Worked with a guy in the 90's that won 28 million. Never saw him again.

Final score:

44points

POST

Curry on... 1 month ago

That would be me. Only my family would know, and they would be with me.

21points

Note: this post originally had 50 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.

Hi there, fellow pandas! As a person (over)educated both in social sciences and literature, I'm most interested in how we connect and behave online (and sometimes in real life too.) The human experience is weird, so I try my best to put its peculiarities in writing. As a person who grew up chronically online, I now try to marry two sides of myself: the one who knows too much about MySpace, and the one who can't settle and needs to see every corner of the world.

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Hi there! I am a Visual Editor at Bored Panda. My job is to ensure that all the articles are aesthetically pleasing. I get to work with a variety of topics ranging from all the relationship drama to lots and lots of memes and, my personal favorites, funny cute cats. When I am not perfecting the images, you can find me reading with a cup of matcha latte and a cat in my lap, taking photos (of my cat), getting lost in the forest, or simply cuddling with my cat... Did I mention that I love cats?

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Have you ever met someone who has won the lottery? What happened to them?

POST

brittany 1 month ago

so i dont know if this counts, but i won about 20$ on a 1 dollar scratch off once. i was living out of my car and wasnt prone to gambling but something just said 'buy it. just buy it' . i won that 20$ and bought my self enough food to get through the week (bread, peanut butter, and a bag of apples and the rest went in my gas tank). the next day i got a job and crawled my way out, slowly

35points

tee-lena 1 month ago

I'm glad you're out. It's a s****y place to be.

7points

BookFanatic 1 month ago

My grandmother used to give all the grandkids scratch-off lotto tickets as a stocking stuffer. I won $500 when I was eight years old. My dad redeemed it for me. Half went into my very first savings account and the other half bought the bike I'd been drooling over for a whole four months. Lol

19points

IamMe 1 month ago (edited)

I know two people who won a million. My Dad's cousin, a fifty something year old man, with a wife and teenage son. He bought a house in one of the worst parts of town, a couple motorcycles, and daily d***s, alcohol, and crack hoes. He died within a year. The second, was a lady who would come into the store I worked at every day, to buy scratch tickets. She kept renting the same apartment, bought a new car, and got her hair done. The rest, she spent on more scratch tickets. She started buying whole books, of the $30 ones, sure she'd win big again. She ended up broker than she was before she won, because she'd quit her job.

9points

Curry on... 1 month ago

She wasn't too bright, was she?

2points

Steve Hall 1 month ago

My wife's friend's mother won $1 million in Florida, she was living in a rent by the week trailer park within one year. Also there was a guy who won big and let some woman manage the money for him, his body was found under her back patio.

4points

Richard Ross 1 month ago

I do wonder about lottery winners posting there faces in the newspapers about their jackpots 🤔

4points

Amelia Jade 1 month ago

I don't think they're doing it by choice. Our state doesn't have the lottery but neighboring states do. People will drive across the border to buy tickets. The rare occasion we play, we drive into the state that doesn't require you announce your winnings. We never buy tickets in the other state that does require. it. Just in case we ever win--we don't want anyone knowing about it.

3points

ENSJ 1 month ago

If I were to win big (several million) I'd do the following: Get my driver's license and buy a Suzuki Jimny. Buy a house. Invest money. Get schooling in bio agriculture and start up a regenerative farm alongside a non profit that helps people in need and also fosters a connection within the community.

3points

Antonia 1 month ago

Suzuki Jomny is one of my favorites! I live in a nice apartment in a nice nighbourhood. I would update the bathroom and the floors and spend the rest on vacations. And on my kids of course. But first of all, do not tell anyone!

0points

Kristal 1 month ago

One can dream! The amount of money I want isn't available via lotto. I want enough to pay off all student loans in the US, then sit back and watch the economy. Thats my big "never will happen dream"

3points

Stannous Flouride 1 month ago

I won enough on the first season of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? to seriously improve my credit rating and since I'd been poor for so long it was enough to seriously improve my life. I paid off all my daughter's student loans and have been living quite comfortably ever since. (btw- I intentionally didn't mention the amount so you can go watch it on YT. Look up "Stan Flouride" there and you'll see.)

2points

Courtney Christelle 1 month ago

I won a free scratch off card from my scratch off card.

2points

Casey Smith 1 month ago

The family kitty-corner from us won a million dollars in 2014. They bought the small house directly across the street from us, tore it down and built a big house that destroyed our view of trees and the sunset. Took me a long time to get over that.

1point

Greg H 1 month ago

My nephew was convinced he was RICH, til I fessed up they were fake Lottery tickets in his Christmas stocking.

1point

oktopus 1 month ago

What I would value from a substantial windfall is not the shiny things the money could buy, but the time it would give me.

1point

Suluhu 1 month ago

My parents neighbour won 2.5 million euros in the early 2000's. He threw a neighbourhood party where he announced that he would keep 100K himself and would use the rest of the money to donate to good causes, and we could all vote which ones we thought were best. Child cancer research and a poverty prevention plan in our region got the biggest chunks. He kept living his regular life until he died in 2017 aged 92.

1point

Bgray450 1 month ago

My rehab counselor and her sister won $12 million together. One sister did fine, made investments, still living frugally. The sister went nuts and spent it all on vehicles and a greedy man, and now she's broke.

1point

Alan Cybulski 1 month ago

A group of people (about 12 I think) I worked with won a $5M jackpot. This was 2 weeks after they learned our plant was being shut down. They were assemblers in manufacturing so not the highest paid employees, but very deserving of it and couldn't have happened to a nicer group of people. I also had a acquaintance from school who won $15M. The guy was down to earth and a great all around guy who would do anything for anyone. Even though he was known he had won the jackpot, he had plans to go hunting with friends. He went even though he had not yet cashed his ticket it. Friendships and commitments are some times more important than money. He helps his family out a lot and not sure how he is doing but I assume he is still doing well as he was not one to spend wastefully.

1point

WeeBitOfSumfin 1 month ago

With 20k I'd pay off my debts, with 50k I'd pay off my debts and get a better car. Then next level of life changing amount would be something about 1Mil to buy an apartment to secure my retirement.

0points

Mark Kelly 1 month ago

I've got a big win here

0points

Mark Kelly 1 month ago (edited)

Lately I've had pretty close calls. I matched 4/6 numbers and was only one number off on the other two numbers. Then on another one I matched 4/6 and on another ticket for the same draw I matched the other two. Also there was an instance where I matched one of four and on the other three were each one number off from the winning numbers to win a half a million.

0points

Angela C 1 month ago

If I ever won the lottery enough to not need to work anymore I wouldn't quit my job right away. I'd start pushing the limits of what I could get away with, see how long it took them to fire me.

0points

Oskar vanZandt 1 month ago

The best thing you get, winning a life-changing prize, is freedom- to do what you like. I would give money to a small number of relatives and friends as well as some charities close to my heart. Then I would have a comfortable eco-house custom built and live a quiet life...

0points

dayngerkat 1 month ago

Most of these sound like BS

-3points

Jacquie Carr 1 month ago

Every word of your comment sounds like jealousy

2points

POST

brittany 1 month ago

35points

tee-lena 1 month ago

I'm glad you're out. It's a s****y place to be.

7points

BookFanatic 1 month ago

19points

IamMe 1 month ago (edited)

9points

Curry on... 1 month ago

She wasn't too bright, was she?

2points

Steve Hall 1 month ago

4points

Richard Ross 1 month ago

I do wonder about lottery winners posting there faces in the newspapers about their jackpots 🤔

4points

Amelia Jade 1 month ago

3points

ENSJ 1 month ago

3points

Antonia 1 month ago

0points

Kristal 1 month ago

One can dream! The amount of money I want isn't available via lotto. I want enough to pay off all student loans in the US, then sit back and watch the economy. Thats my big "never will happen dream"

3points

Stannous Flouride 1 month ago

2points

Courtney Christelle 1 month ago

I won a free scratch off card from my scratch off card.

2points

Casey Smith 1 month ago

1point

Greg H 1 month ago

My nephew was convinced he was RICH, til I fessed up they were fake Lottery tickets in his Christmas stocking.

1point

oktopus 1 month ago

What I would value from a substantial windfall is not the shiny things the money could buy, but the time it would give me.

1point

Suluhu 1 month ago

1point

Bgray450 1 month ago

1point

Alan Cybulski 1 month ago

1point

WeeBitOfSumfin 1 month ago

With 20k I'd pay off my debts, with 50k I'd pay off my debts and get a better car. Then next level of life changing amount would be something about 1Mil to buy an apartment to secure my retirement.

0points

Mark Kelly 1 month ago

I've got a big win here

0points

Mark Kelly 1 month ago (edited)

0points

Angela C 1 month ago

If I ever won the lottery enough to not need to work anymore I wouldn't quit my job right away. I'd start pushing the limits of what I could get away with, see how long it took them to fire me.

0points

Oskar vanZandt 1 month ago

0points

dayngerkat 1 month ago

Most of these sound like BS

-3points

Jacquie Carr 1 month ago

Every word of your comment sounds like jealousy

2points