25 Ways In Which Winning The Lottery Affected Someone’s Life

Most people have dreams about winning the lottery. According to statistics, the chances of winning are 1 in 300 million. The odds of winning the lottery may be slim, but it doesn’t stop people from trying. After all, someone is bound to win the prize money. While most people walk away with small winnings, some lucky folks have hit the jackpot. Recently, one Redditor asked "Have you ever actually met/know someone who has won the lottery? What happened to them?" Scroll below to read the various stories folks shared in response. 

#1 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.

Image source: Kahazzarran, neil kelly / pexels (not the actual photo)

#2 My friends mom won like $100k or so when we were in grade 6. She was a single mom of 2 and they we’re pretty poor. She used it to give her kids a better, more comfortable life. It was little changes like the next winter they had new winter jackets and boots and stuff, not the worn old hand me downs they always had. My friends next birthday she got to have a big party for the whole class, nothing crazy just pizzas and stuff, but she’s never gotten to have that before and she was so happy.

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#3 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.

Image source: hornblower_83, Craig Adderley / pexels (not the actual photo)

#4 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.

Image source: Mandalasan_612, Kampus Production / pexels (not the actual photo)

#5 I had a patient, a hairdresser who owned her own shop, who won about 6 million. Her winnings were announced in the local newspaper.

Image source: Earguy, Dario Fernandez Ruz / pexels (not the actual photo) 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.

#6 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.

Image source: anon, Ben Mack / pexels (not the actual photo)

#7 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.

Image source: Punkrockid19, Mario Amé / pexels (not the actual photo)

#8 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!

Image source: Dvaone, Ron Lach / pexels (not the actual photo)

#9 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.

Image source: Kriskao, Ksenia Chernaya / pexels (not the actual photo)

#10 I won 2000 on a scratch off once! Fixed my missing tooth lol.

Image source: Burnsie312, Anna Shvets / pexels (not the actual photo)

#11 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!

Image source: CaseyBoogies, Felipe Cespedes / pexels (not the actual photo)

#12 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.

Image source: cozy_fyre, Nicholas Dias / pexels (not the actual photo)

#13 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.

Image source: Bruised_up_whitebelt, RDNE Stock project / pexels (not the actual photo)

#14 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.

Image source: Blondefarmgirl, Asad Photo Maldives / pexels (not the actual photo)

#15 My wife, she got me. That’s basically the lottery. She feels differently.

Image source: anon, Daria Obymaha / pexels (not the actual photo)

#16 My stepdad's brother won 4.3m 20 years ago. Still chillin. Invested in real estate and kept rolling them over for profit.

Image source: anon, Expect Best / pexels (not the actual photo)

#17 Neighbor won a few millions, built an old folks home, named it after his mother and she refused to live there.

Image source: pascontent, Matthias Zomer / pexels (not the actual photo)

#18 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.

Image source: Nythoren, RDNE Stock project / pexels (not the actual photo) 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.

#19 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.

Image source: NBA-014, Cons Mardec / pexels (not the actual photo)

#20 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.

Image source: PigStickerOnStone, Joice Rivas / pexels (not the actual photo)

#21 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.

Image source: anon, Karolina Kaboompics / pexels (not the actual photo)

#22 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.

Image source: helenemayer, Max Fischer / pexels (not the actual photo)

#23 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.

Image source: Unable-Astronaut-677, William McAllister / pexels (not the actual photo)

#24 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.

Image source: greihund, Filipe Pinho / pexels (not the actual photo) 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.

#25 Coworkers sister won 2mil. 6 months later asking him, and me, at our job, for help to feed her children.

Image source: FullBloomMushroom, MART PRODUCTION / pexels (not the actual photo)