Oh, how could it be?

wth they wasted some of their $$$ gambling? Heck I would quit while I was ahead!!

Gamble, Gifts, Luxuries. These elements is repeating almost in any winners-gone-broke stories.

Headline not far behind: "Lottery winner goes bankrupt merely paying for food & fuel" ?

I was joking about that a couple days ago. That's why I'd be doing as much cycling or walking as I can just as I do now, even if I could afford the gas, plus there's the whole exercise thing of course.... Until you get hit by a car and didn't wear a helmet.... The "curse" lives on!

They were probably one of those people were told you can deduct gambling losses and used that to justify doing it, probably either got addicted to it or were beforehand. But yeah, those three things are typically it, but don't forget drugs unless that's under luxeries. ;)  Gifts certainly are a problem when they don't think before giving away money or whatever, just because you win several million  it doesn't mean it'll last forever (or at least until you're about to croak) if you're not smart about it and even if you are you still have to be careful.

Oh and you don't mess with the IRS.

Oh and you don't mess with the IRS.

yea just ask Wesley Snipes!!!!

That sure looks like where we're headed.  Agreed.

Thing is, every lottery winner (not to mention the rest of us) is going to die, and we don't know when.  IMHO if I ever won a multi-million dollar jackpot, I sure wouldn't want to die while I still had all that money.  I remember reading a news article somewhere where a woman won a jp and she was hit by a car and killed on the way from filing her claim.

Better to die right after you spent the last buck.   After all, you can't take it with you.

Well said. Enter this life with nothing and depart with nothing.  So he knew how to play the game.  wtg!

Well, you won't have it when you die unless you're buried with it, but I wouldn't want to die broke, where's the money going to come from to pay for my body to be cryogenically frozen? Who knows, maybe some day I'll be reanimated, hopefully without a craving for human flesh or brains. Hopefully I'll still have something in a bank and the interest on it over the decades, centuries will have carried on to where my millions are now billions or more.  Yes, I know in reality that doesn't work since inactive accounts don't go unnoticed by the banks or government. Though maybe some deal could be worked out, hmm...

Anyway, that woman didn't even get her winnings to have a chance to enjoy so that pretty much made her win pointless aside from having the feeling of winning. That's what would more than likely happen to me if I were to ever win. I'm betting on multiple lightning strikes still though.