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Willie Seeley: "The Drama Is Nonstop"
Willie Seeley's
lottery win went from a dream come true to an annoying curse -- quickly. Image
(c) Montaplex
When "Wild" Willie Seeley and 15 of his coworkers
formed a lottery pool that hit it big in August of
2013, it seemed like a blessing. Weeks later, Willie Seeley felt like he had
been hit by the lottery curse.
The lottery pool known as Oceans 16 bought a Play online lottery ticket that was one of three to win a
$450 million Powerball jackpot. At a press conference, Willie Seeley said that
he and his wife were, "happy, happy, happy" and planning to spend
their days fishing, hunting, and relaxing.
But it didn't take long for the downside to winning a lottery
jackpot to appear. It's hard to go fishing when you are being followed by
reporters and camera crews clamoring for an interview or an appearance on a
reality TV show. And distant relatives and complete strangers coming to their
house to ask for handouts made it hard to relax.
Plus, it was a shock to realize that after splitting the jackpot
three ways (three winning tickets were sold), then splitting that third of the
jackpot an additional 16 ways (for each member of the lottery pool), and
playing taxes, not even $4 million was left over. Enough for the couples to buy
new vehicles, help their families, and quit their jobs, but not the
never-worry-about-money-again windfall it had seemed at first.
Only weeks after their initial exuberance, Willie Seeley and his
wife were bemoaning the lottery curse. "There are days I wish we were back
to just getting paid every two weeks. You have to change your whole way of
life, but we didn’t want to change the way we lived."
Lottery Winner Abraham
Shakespeare: Murdered for His Money
Filling out a Play lottery online
ticket led to Abraham Shakespeare's murder. Image (c) David Joyner / Getty
Images
After winning $40 million from the Florida Lottery in 2006,
Abraham Shakespeare was more than generous with his money. He was giving it
away at a quick rate to nearly anyone who asked. But his generosity didn't give
him immunity to the lottery curse.
Abraham, a high-school dropout and convict who couldn't even
read, won the lottery when he stopped at a convenience store with a co-worker,
and gave the co-worker a couple of bucks to buy tickets.
His troubles started almost immediately. His co-worker said that
Shakespeare had stolen the tickets and the jackpot from him, and took him to
court. Shakespeare won the suit, but his troubles didn't end.
So many people were asking Abraham Shakespeare for money that he
said, ""I'd have been better off broke," and "I thought all
these people were my friends, but then I realized all they want is just
money."
Then he met Dee Dee Moore, who said she wanted to write about
his experiences. She also said she'd help manage his money, though she
immediately started spending it on herself (buying a Hummer and a Corvette, for
example). She even took possession of his home.
But apparently, that wasn't enough for her. Moore killed
Abhraham Shakespeare and buried his body under concrete slabs at her
boyfriend's house. She took extreme lengths to try to make it seem as if
Abhraham Shakespeare were still alive, sending fake texts and attempting to
bribe his family to say they had seen him.
Moore was sentenced to first-degree murder. And Shakespeare
probably would have been better off sticking to the $5 he had in his pocket
when he bought his winning lottery ticket.
Billy Bob Harrell Jr.:
Committed Suicide Only 2 Years After $30 Million Win
Billy Bob
Harrell Jr.'s lottery win seemed like a godsend, but it became a curse. Image
(c) Michael Melford / Getty Images
Billy Bob Harrell, Jr. was in hard straits after failing to
become a minister, so when he won $31 million from the Texas Jackpot, it seemed
he had finally found a way to support his family and put his money troubles
behind him.
He was very generous with his winnings, helping his family, his
church, and needy parishioners. But the requests for money didn't stop coming.
The money, his bad investments, and the constant demand for
more, more, more put a strain on his family. His marriage ended, other family
members were at odds with each other. He said, "Winning the lottery was
the worst thing that ever happened to me."
On a day when he was scheduled to go to dinner with his ex-wife,
Billie Bob Harrell, Jr. decided he'd had enough. He put a shotgun to his chest,
pulled the trigger, and killed himself, less than two years after his
miraculous lottery win.
You Don't Have to Be a
Lottery Curse Victim!
Although these lottery curse stories make it seem like winning
money is the worst thing that could happen to you, remember that the media
loves a riches-to-rags story.
There are many more big winners who treat their money responsibly
and have a wonderful experience after winning. For some examples, see my
interviews with PCH Winner Natalie Bostelman and HGTV Dream Home Winner Don Cruz.
Don Cruz is sometimes cited in news articles as a big winner who
lost it all, but he had a great time with his huge prize, and cherishes the memories
that he has.
Remember that most lottery winners don't make big news, because
they handle their money responsibly and use it to enjoy an easier life.
Want to know what steps to take to avoid becoming a victim of
the lottery curse, should you ever win big? Check out my article, How to Win the Lottery Without Losing Your Shirt.
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