A lottery winner has spilled their secrets on what life is like after a big win, and it isn't all smooth sailing.
Podcast host Timothy Schulz said lottery winners can have their world “turned on its head” when a big win comes their way. He told Fox News: “If you were unhappy before, you might be unhappy after…
“There are some very wealthy people in the world who are extremely unhappy. Money can be positive, but it doesn’t necessarily fix all problems.” Schulz has good advice for potential lottery winners, with the Powerball jackpot rising to a massive $1.6billion (£1.25billion) this week. The cash option prize for would be around $782.4million (£611million), possibly the biggest win in history.
Schulz won $29million (£22million) from the Powerball jackpot in 1999. He said that he was hit with “stacks” of letters form people asking him for money and that he found it hard to trust “new people.”
He said: “It felt like some people viewed me as a walking, talking ATM machine… Money can’t fix everything. Our health should not ever be taken for granted. Money can certainly help, but it can’t fix everything.”
People may react differently to winning such a big prize and there have been numerous examples of individuals across the world who blow through large sums of money quickly. Schulz said it can “magnify personalities.”
“If you are into the church, you may decide to build one,” he said. “If you’re into movies, you may decide to produce a film. If you enjoy fishing, that may become a full-time hobby. People often become larger versions of themselves.”
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In June, a Michigan couple and a lawyer from the west side of the state were announced Tuesday as winners of an $842.4million (£658million) Powerball lottery jackpot from a ticket purchased on New Year's Day. The Breakfast Club lottery club opted for a cash lump sum of $305million (£238million) after taxes, Michigan Lottery Commissioner Suzanna Shkreli told reporters outside the Food Castle convenience store in Grand Blanc Township near Flint, where the winning ticket was sold.
Harder said the middle-aged couple has “been elated and overwhelmed, thrilled and nervous” since realising their ticket was the winner. “They’ve gone from shock and sleepless nights to giving careful thought as to how this once-in-a-lifetime event will transform their lives,” Harder said.
“The morning after the drawing, we heard through the news that the winning ticket had been sold here,” Harder said. "(The husband) looked up the ticket numbers on his phone, and he was so stunned he dropped his phone.”