Powerball jackpot a mixed blessing

Jan 2, 2013, 8:09 pm (32 comments)

After the Big Win

Sandra Hayes won millions in a Powerball jackpot, and now she is warning others to be careful what they wish for. She says she was both blessed and cursed with the big win.

"I make it a point to go to Hawaii every year," she says.

Traveling is a passion Sandra Hayes could not afford when she was a single mother, studying for her second master's degree.

"Three student loans to repay, I'm like man there is no way I can do it," she said.

That all changed in April of 2006, when Hayes and a dozen of her co-workers hit a record setting $225 million Powerball jackpot. It was the first time she'd ever played the office lottery pool.

"I felt like I was dreaming, that's how I felt," said Hayes. "I'm dreaming I'm going to wake up any minute now."

Her share of the winnings after taxes was roughly $8 million. It was a reality check that came with a hidden price.

"I had people calling me at work begging for money and people sending faxes with letters and sob stories and I'm like, 'I do not know these people,'" said Hayes. "I was under so much stress, I thought I was going to explode."

Even worse, people Hayes did know wanted a piece of the pie, including a close friend who fabricated a financial crisis.

"People trying to use me as if I'm a personal bank or ATM machine. That was what I had to cut out of my life," she says. "You have to learn to say no."

At times, Hayes has had to say no to herself, to avoid squandering her life savings like so many lottery winners do.

Money management expert Fred Hiatt says, "People are envious. People are greedy and we're all human."

Hiatt knows getting rich quick can be a blessing and a curse.

"Hire professionals and, if you don't, you're going to end up as a statistic that already indicates that the majority of these winners end up broke or dead or live a miserable life of some sort," said Hiatt.

"Even though I have money, I'm still conservative. I still budget," says Hayes.

She says she has to budget, in order to pay her quarterly taxes!

"That's my duty as an American, to pay taxes. That's not the problem. The problem is the amount! I'm not used to writing such big checks to the government!" Hayes explains.

She doesn't like writing big checks, period.

"I love Hawaii. My God, I'd love to move to Hawaii, but it's too expensive," she says.

For now, her Missouri home is bought and paid for. Her debt, and her childrens' debt are paid off. And she does make it to Hawaii at least once a year, while treating her entire family to trips of their own.

"That's a blessing that makes me feel good because when I'm long gone they will remember that," she says.

Hayes, no doubt, considers her windfall a blessing, but she didn't expect her fortune to come with a hidden cost.

"The money is not evil. It's the people that are evil," Hayes says. "This journey, it teaches you a lot of things. You see people for who they are and it's like this no matter what you do for some people, some people — I'll put it that way — it's not enough. It's not enough."

Hayes wrote a book about hitting the jackpot, the good, bad and ugly. She's working on a second book, and hopes one day to retire in Hawaii. And get this: she won the lottery two months before she finished graduate school. She not only completed those classes, she also continued working — at least until she got her check.

Thanks to rdgrnr for the tip.

America Now

Comments

Original Bey's avatarOriginal Bey

Earned my first MBA in NO (To address family members and close friends who come back for seconds)

 

Earned my second MBA in HELL NO (To address fair weather friends and complete strangers)

 

Banana  Bring on the Jackpot baby. I'm ready!  Banana

helpmewin's avatarhelpmewin

do you have a picture of her? i think i know who this is if this is the same girl.What?

helpmewin's avatarhelpmewin

Quote: Originally posted by Original Bey on Jan 2, 2013

Earned my first MBA in NO (To address family members and close friends who come back for seconds)

 

Earned my second MBA in HELL NO (To address fair weather friends and complete strangers)

 

Banana  Bring on the Jackpot baby. I'm ready!  Banana

hey we posted at the same time, Green laugh

Original Bey's avatarOriginal Bey

Quote: Originally posted by helpmewin on Jan 2, 2013

hey we posted at the same time, Green laugh

It's a rat race - lol

 

Here's to both of us earning some big cheese in this new year!Cheers

VenomV12

So she is complaining about having to write big checks to pay taxes on the free $8 million that she has in her pocket. Really?

Hawaii is not that expensive. I am sure she can find a place for $500,000 to $1,000,000. She is by herself, she does not need to live in Buckinham Palace or anything like that. 

Here is an idea, take some of the money, buy a McDonald's or something else, have her kids who live off her run it and pay them from that and live off the profits as well as her interest income from other investments. 

Even a borderline idiot should be able to make at leat 3% off of $8million, way more than enough to live a fantastic life if you don't have any debt, even if you did. 

I am confused by her statement. Is there any job that pays you a lot of money that you don't pay taxes? If so, I want in. 

helpmewin's avatarhelpmewin

Quote: Originally posted by Original Bey on Jan 2, 2013

It's a rat race - lol

 

Here's to both of us earning some big cheese in this new year!Cheers

Eek

Original Bey's avatarOriginal Bey

Quote: Originally posted by helpmewin on Jan 2, 2013

Eek

Better than government cheese, no?

helpmewin's avatarhelpmewin

Quote: Originally posted by Original Bey on Jan 2, 2013

Better than government cheese, no?

you should know LOL

Original Bey's avatarOriginal Bey

Quote: Originally posted by helpmewin on Jan 2, 2013

you should know LOL

I got friends in low places,
Where the Whiskey drowns,
And the Beer chases my blues away,
But I'll be okay,
Now I'm not big on social graces,
Think I'll slip on down to the oasis,
Oh I got friends,
In low places.

 

-Garth

dpoly1's avatardpoly1

Another winner hounded by the Greed Of Envy!

Mad

helpmewin's avatarhelpmewin

Quote: Originally posted by Original Bey on Jan 2, 2013

I got friends in low places,
Where the Whiskey drowns,
And the Beer chases my blues away,
But I'll be okay,
Now I'm not big on social graces,
Think I'll slip on down to the oasis,
Oh I got friends,
In low places.

 

-Garth

Congrats! Sandra Hayes on spending all your money now trying to sell your books No No

Original Bey's avatarOriginal Bey

Quote: Originally posted by helpmewin on Jan 2, 2013

Congrats! Sandra Hayes on spending all your money now trying to sell your books No No

At least she is not trying to "hawk" them off on LP by starting bogus threads filled with bad predictions

 

I won't name names - lol!

helpmewin's avatarhelpmewin

Quote: Originally posted by Original Bey on Jan 2, 2013

At least she is not trying to "hawk" them off on LP by starting bogus threads filled with bad predictions

 

I won't name names - lol!

my numbers are good guarantee to hit within a year Green laughwin BIG!

glitter77's avatarglitter77

Quote: Originally posted by Original Bey on Jan 2, 2013

Earned my first MBA in NO (To address family members and close friends who come back for seconds)

 

Earned my second MBA in HELL NO (To address fair weather friends and complete strangers)

 

Banana  Bring on the Jackpot baby. I'm ready!  Banana

#realtalk

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