Powerball winner dies penniless, 12 years after winning $27 million

Comment #82

fwlawrence — Sun, 08 Dec 2013 17:30:10 GMT

How are the other 3 winners doing

Comment #81

sully16 — Sat, 07 Dec 2013 15:51:47 GMT

really sad

Comment #80

BazookaJoe — Sat, 07 Dec 2013 08:15:25 GMT

Comment #79

Jammboogie — Fri, 06 Dec 2013 22:33:35 GMT

@Faber98...LOL..You wish you had a driveway. I am angry? And it is you who attacked me because you are less intelligent and insecure and can't understand freedom of an independent thinker. Sorry troll get away before I get the RAID...

Comment #78

faber98 — Fri, 06 Dec 2013 22:00:06 GMT

get bent. i'll bet no one turns around in your driveway if you have one. where and why is all this anger stemming from. i'm making it my business. you are no match for me.

Comment #77

Jammboogie — Fri, 06 Dec 2013 19:25:06 GMT

@Faber...Just another troll...mind your own business...You didn't have to read it.

Comment #76

faber98 — Fri, 06 Dec 2013 16:36:48 GMT

whoopie do. your opinion is your right even if it's wrong. and your bold font is your right even though it's annoying to everyone. go yell at some kids that happen to step on your lawn.

Comment #75

Jammboogie — Fri, 06 Dec 2013 12:24:42 GMT

@Teddi. my opinion is mine and yours is yours. I use a large bold font. That is also MY RIGHT!!!!! Just because you read it over and over on the internet does not mean it is true. Too bad you don't have the gift of discernment.

Comment #74

Simba774 — Fri, 06 Dec 2013 05:34:01 GMT

I remember this story. Back in September DAC(Destination America Channel) ran an old special called Jackpot! Overnight Millionaries and the episode featuring David Lee Edwards is still on my DVR. I also have a very old episode of E! THS featuring Edwards on DVD-R.

R.I.P. David Lee Edwards.

Comment #73

HaveABall — Fri, 06 Dec 2013 01:18:03 GMT

Wow, it was probably difficult for David living: broke, ashamed, demoralized, in debt, on welfare, very sick, in pain, and mainly alone for these past 7.5 years.

Comment #72

Teddi — Fri, 06 Dec 2013 00:48:00 GMT

You're definitely right there. $27 million dollars after taxes is an I-never-have-to-work-again-and-can-live-extravagantly-off-the-interest-alone amount of money.

When he started buying planes and spending money just to tick off his advisor, that was the beginning of the end. Not keeping Shawna out of his life when 3 stints in rehab didn't work, sped up the inevitable.

But when he had to borrow money to buy junk to put in his house so that he could show off to the world how great he had... [ More ]

Comment #71

Teddi — Thu, 05 Dec 2013 23:03:42 GMT

What 'truth' are you looking for exactly? What is it you think is missing here? This guy's journey from rags to riches to rags again has been well documented in the media over the last few years. Considering how many lottery winners end up worse off than before they won, why should his story be the one that's unbelievable?

The first clue that something was really wrong was when he couldn't afford to pay his (relatively small) HOA fees. At the initial news report he 'claimed' that he hadn't be... [ More ]

Comment #70

Jammboogie — Thu, 05 Dec 2013 16:58:31 GMT

@DC81...You need to make better use of your time.

Comment #69

DDOH937 — Thu, 05 Dec 2013 14:26:31 GMT

A well reasoned post. You touched on sooooo many things here that are right on point. Good stuff Stunna

Comment #68

sflottolover — Thu, 05 Dec 2013 12:53:00 GMT

It is really unbelievable.

Comment #67

stunna6036 — Thu, 05 Dec 2013 09:34:22 GMT

It's ironic that he was down and out on his luck before he won the lottery, and that's how he died. The lottery only prolonged his fate. I can say from the story that because of the lottery he was able to live out a life long dream of being a millionaire. In my opinion there is a difference between being rich and being wealthy. If you can't manage your money or life for that matter before you come into instant riches then this is what happens more often then not, so I'm not surprised(a fool and... [ More ]

Comment #66

mikeintexas — Thu, 05 Dec 2013 06:27:42 GMT

Yep, and if the few pics I browsed through are recent, it makes me wonder if she's still not using. I hope not, esp. b/c of the baby. Her other child looked healthy and well-cared for, so maybe she's clean. I pray she is.

Yeah, some of those comments annoyed me, esp. one saying we shouldn't have criticized him for what he bought. Well, sorry, other than the cars, house and jet, it was crap and probably depreciated 75%+ as soon as he walked out the door with the stuff. I really wasn't criti... [ More ]

Comment #65

DC81 — Thu, 05 Dec 2013 06:01:34 GMT

You have the right to believe the moon landing was done in the desert or on a sound stage, you are entitled to believe there was a second shooter and so on but it doesn't mean your beliefs are anchored in fact.

If you do the research your answers will be found instead of just looking at this one story.

If I win the lottery can I buy a multi-quote function to these boards

Comment #64

DC81 — Thu, 05 Dec 2013 05:59:13 GMT

The drugs and the stupid spending absolutely did him in along with not having the sense needed to say NO when he had to along with listening to the wrong people. I remember he was going to get his back fixed after winning but then never did. Him foolishly blowing HIS money on a bunch of crap isn't a big deal, but the bad choices he made along with it, including how it affected his daughter are.

Comment #63

DC81 — Thu, 05 Dec 2013 05:56:08 GMT

I remember seeing the news as I lived somewhat near by at the time and seeing him on there thinking he was a well spoken charismatic individual. But then the later stuff happened. He was too generous with friends and got taken advantage of by more than a few. As for the cars and whatever he lost it all from not being able to cover his bills, I'm pretty sure they were all auctioned off.

Comment #62

DC81 — Thu, 05 Dec 2013 05:52:09 GMT

I shouldn't either but I believe that would be number 2, she also had her own problems with drugs including during that time being exposed to that environment and all and IIRC was sent to rehab. Years later she and her boyfriend (I think, it's been a few years) were arrested for trafficking.

As for the comments on how Edwards lived his dream or how you only live once or whatever, well fine if it only affected him. But it didn't and the choices he made and the choices he didn't affected mor... [ More ]

Comment #61

veganlife125 — Thu, 05 Dec 2013 03:24:58 GMT

Great post KY Floyd. You said a novel in 2 sentences.

This is a sad story but not surprising unfortunately. I've seen so many people get paid on Friday and not be happy until they are completely broke with a hangover heading to work on Monday morning. Many will call in sick on Monday if they can to spend the rest and arrive to work Tuesday.

Money burns a hole in their pocket for some reason like this guy. I think somewhere along the lines they want it hard.

Character Counts.

Comment #60

Jammboogie — Thu, 05 Dec 2013 02:53:57 GMT

My response was meant for you Teddi

Comment #59

Jammboogie — Thu, 05 Dec 2013 02:52:46 GMT

You are entitled to your opinion as I am entitled to mine. I STILL feel that the total truth has not been told. That is my right.

Comment #58

Jon D — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 23:43:07 GMT

Yes, you are correct, this news article is missing some key pieces included in some past news stories, that 70% of big lottery winners go broke in 5 years.

David Edwards is, unfortunately, in good company.

Comment #57

Teddi — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 23:22:27 GMT

Well, on the flip side of that coin are the people who never save a dime, don't die before the age of 65 and when they're supposed to retire they have no money. Instead of enjoying their old age after decades of slaving away, they either have to keep on working or live off what ever handouts they can get. The anomaly of a person who saved, dying before retirement shouldn't stop people from saving. From all accounts, Mr Edwards regretted squandering all his money. I don't think it's anyone's drea... [ More ]

Comment #56

Teddi — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 22:25:23 GMT

I find it hard to believe that you find it hard to believe someone could blow through $27M when so many others with way more money than him and who don't have substance abuse issues have proven how easy it is to do.

Not only did he have a drug problem but his wife did as well. Not to mention he used to spend his money on expensive nonsense just to piss off his financial advisor. Drug abuse or no drug abuse, he was going to end up broke.

There is no news conspiracy theory here. He spent mor... [ More ]

Comment #55

Jill34786 — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 21:04:06 GMT

Sad story. If he had followed what he preached when he initially presented his winning ticket, we may not be reading about his demise.

RIP.

Comment #54

delS — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 20:38:34 GMT

I remember my wife and I watching him on t.v. and saying he would blow his money. I am sad that he hit the absolute bottom before dying. But in the above post, therein lies the differentiating element between those who end up at the bottom and those who manage well their good fortune - A Game Plan - that has more in it than Spending and accumulating things. Hopefully more players wake up prior to actually winning a huge fortune and think through a game plan.

Comment #53

TheGameGrl — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 20:13:44 GMT

He was loved by someone and to that someone, may comfort and condolences be expressed. My heart goes out to the daughter, she lost more then money....she lost her father.And that is irreplaceable.

Comment #52

golfer1960 — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 19:35:16 GMT

Hmm...well said stunna.

Comment #51

stunna6036 — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 19:01:04 GMT

Nothing sad about this story. The man won the lottery and lived out his dreams. Lets remember that if were all so responsible with money why do we even entertain playing a game with odds stacked against us. I once met an older person at work who constantly would bragg about his investment accounts retirement accounts and his savings. The sad thing thing was that one day about year before he was to retire and enjoy all the benefits of his savings he dropped dead. You only live once YOLO.

Comment #50

ttech10 — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 18:51:47 GMT

My guess is taxes and drugs. He could have lost most of the stuff to the government due to having a lot to pay to taxes and no money to pay to the government due to both overspending on items (vehicles and art mostly) and addiction to drugs. Other items he could have sold in order to fuel his drug habit or to simply survive. In the article it also mentions he owed thousands to friends/family.

It's that hard to believe someone with drug addiction and a wild spending habit could lose millions.... [ More ]

Comment #49

LottoPools — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 18:44:25 GMT

Rest in peace Mr. Edwards.

Cautionary tale indeed. But it's sad the article didn't mention some of the good he did with his money. If I remember correctly, he helped out a few people when he won. I think he paid for one lady to have eye surgery or something like that.

Comment #48

NightStalker — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 17:50:18 GMT

I remember watching his story on TLCML and thinking that here was a guy that was given a huge second chance to turn his life around. But as the story went on, I realized that even though he changed his surroundings, he didn't change at all. Still had run-ins with the law and still used illegal drugs.

His story made me formulate a plan for what I will do when I win the lottery because I don't want to end up broke. RIP David Lee Edwards.

Comment #47

DDOH937 — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 17:46:48 GMT

Red: You know, i'm actaully inclined to agree with you. The drugs is what did him in, not the excessive spending. And considered that he had back/pain issues from an accident PRIOR to winning. It really isn't that surprising he ended up a fein huh? I've seen post critical of his jet purchase, cars and taste ect. but really who cares. He had the right to blow his money on stuff if he wanted. Its just the drug issue that gets to me, especially him paying for drugs for friends only to end up having... [ More ]

Comment #46

RedStang — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 17:21:30 GMT

Except for the drugs, he did everything right. You might die tomorrow. Enjoy it while you can. You'll probably be forgotten anyways. No surprise his daughter is only worried about the money.

Comment #45

DDOH937 — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 16:50:17 GMT

Exactly Gleno. We are not to judge lest we be judged . Our demons are and can be POWERFUL. Without good family, friends and stable social support. We are, whether we know it or not, easily susceptable to having our demons overcome us. Let's all lottery players and believers ssend a prayer out for him and for future winners....ourselves included

Comment #44

DDOH937 — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 16:42:50 GMT

It's incredibly difficult for me not to feel sorry for how it all ended for this guy. I don't subscribe to the notion that he was stupid and therefore this was unexpected. These things happen. Guilt. Pressure. Society. Unable to Cope. Past Demons. Being Overwhelmed. Overconfidence. These just a few of the things that winners face. Some are better able to cope than others. Some are fine and relatively grounded, but then family and friends steer them off track. Some are messed up but then family a... [ More ]

Comment #43

haymaker — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 15:40:56 GMT

I believe that's correct, assuming 3 other winners that's a 75% success rate.

Comment #42

Jammboogie — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 15:36:55 GMT

Hi Coin Toss,

I agree with you because it is definitely a message in his story. He did a combination of things with his money. I like that he did help some of his friends but he went far too too far with some of his purchases. Too extragavant. And the drug problem didn't help either. When he first won, and they did a story on him I thought he was a balanced indivdual. He purchased a Lear Jet and many cars. What happenend to those items

Comment #41

Gleno — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 14:57:03 GMT

Second that prayer, May he RIP. ( We are not to judge lest we be judged.)

Wonder if he ever spent any of his windfall on recovery? Only the Good Lord knows.

Comment #40

rdgrnr — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 10:51:55 GMT

HOAs can be a blessing or a curse.

You move into a gated community like he was in mostly to get away from low class people (like him, sadly).

You're there because you don't want to deal with the hassle of dealing with all the usual traits of low class people, like blasting music and garbage strewn everywhere and curbside engine overhauls and brake jobs and stoop sitting and all night parties and vehicles parked all over the place and attitudes and all the rest. The HOA can prevent or get r... [ More ]

Comment #39

savagegoose — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 10:43:30 GMT

im no christian im an athiest. but i see it as hes his own destiny, made from the past, but the only one to guide his future. his past makes who he is now. but he can change it. he didnt have the strnghth of character to change and the money destroyed him. maybe he didnt have any friends stong enough tt vll him an idiot. and say thats stupid. you're an idiot. maybe all his friends had their hands out.

its a shame, a shame for him, his family. and that we dont have pity. lets hope we all... [ More ]

Comment #38

mikeintexas — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 06:59:38 GMT

w/ Arrowhead, especially with it really not being a lot of money, at least not nearly enough to have bought all the toys he did. I bet he probably couldn't have kept them all, even if he'd invested the remainder of his money...would've been a lot of upkeep on the mansion, insurance f/ the cars, etc. It was all the junk he bought that really floors me. I can understand blowing a good chunk on stuff when you win, especially if you've never had many possessions in your life, but more-or-less wastin... [ More ]

Comment #37

KY Floyd — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 06:56:52 GMT

All the money in the world won't usually change who you are. Money is just a tool that let's you do a better job of being who you already are.

Comment #36

Nodda4me — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 06:47:54 GMT

what a loser

why do druggy convicted felons get to win? really.. they need to do a full background check before handing over that kind of money..

If I won a million I would make a budget of 25k a year.. (I'm living off 16.8k right now).. that would spread out for at LEAST 40 years!

dumb people with no brains

Comment #35

Arrowhead — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 06:46:58 GMT

A million bucks worth of luxary cars parked curbside at his $1.6 million mansion. What a clown.

Ya know, $27 million is alot of money, but, especially if that's a pre-tax figure, isn't ALOT OF MONEY, if you catch my drift.

And he didn't have the wherewithal to set up a trust for his daughter. That's unconscionable.

Between this story and the ones of unclaimed million-dollar jackpots, it's enough to scream to the Lotto gods... Let me win, I'd do this right

Comment #34

jeffrey — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 06:41:27 GMT

it makes me sick. when he won, i was hoping to win enough to keep my family alive after they were poisoned by an illegall toxic waste dump. i paid every penny i had and then some to keep them alive with hospital care. i just couldn't swing the million dollars for transplants and they died screaming in agony. wonder why scum bags get the breaks

Comment #33

BazookaJoe — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 06:41:15 GMT

Yep, and the guy in SC is doing just fine......

Comment #32

Goteki54 — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 04:48:41 GMT

In the movie WallStreet, Michael Douglas as Gordon Gecko told Charlie Sheen as Bud Fox A fool and his money are lucky to get together in the first place . Clearly this wasn't one of those cases. A certain amount of people are not emotionally mature to handle winning or being given a large amount of money. Rich people maintain their wealth, because they know how to invest it and are mature enough not to flunder their wealth.

Comment #31

golfer1960 — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 04:47:36 GMT

My thoughts exactly! Kyokushin forgot to look at his avatar before he wrote that

Comment #30

earthdragon72 — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 04:34:54 GMT

I remember watching hiim on How Lottery changed my life what happeend was he owed taxes and so the IRS took it all to pay for back taxes and that's what happens when you live in a gated community no taxes no toys.

Sad though very sad.

Comment #29

noise-gate — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 04:26:44 GMT

Wow- on face value is this not a case of the Kettle calling the Pot black?

Lord have Mercy..

Comment #28

kyokushin187 — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 04:16:44 GMT

Sorry,but everyone in those photos from the wife,daughter and friend look to be on method or some other narcotic.

Comment #27

noise-gate — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 03:52:04 GMT

Maybe its because the other winners did not dabble with drugs or contraband. They kept their noses clean and invested well.

Comment #26

ohiopick3 — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 03:04:57 GMT

He had lots of fun while he lived after winning. That's for sure!

Only he is one that took that winning to health extremes . But, when you win it, it could be a terrible thing to accelerate habits. To each his own. Don't knock the guy down. He played, he hit big, and enjoyed the life he chose.

Many would love to have that opportunity. Many would do different and many will do the same.

Let the opportunity come first, then decide for yourself. Do what you want to after the fact.

Only t... [ More ]

Comment #25

mypiemaster — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 01:47:28 GMT

His first expenditure should have been, to check into the best drug rehab that money can buy for him and his friends. He can afford it. Too late now. What happened to all the stuff that he purchased? Hope they were paid in full, just wishing.

Comment #24

luckyshoes — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 01:45:03 GMT

Are we supposed to feel sorry for him

Comment #23

dallascowboyfan — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 01:21:24 GMT

Agree I pay every year then they hit us with a fence assessment

Comment #22

Coin Toss — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 01:18:23 GMT

Jammboogie,

Yeah, I think the article is missing a few things too. One of the first things he did was fly a bunch of friends to Vegas.

He also said, You can't fix stupid .

He lost the house in Florida because he didn't pay the association fees.

I don't find it hard to believe he lost everything but there's certainly a message here.

Comment #21

JonnyBgood07 — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 01:05:35 GMT

ahhh..ok...well at the least why not get the best rehab in town?...I just dunno

Comment #20

haymaker — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 01:05:35 GMT

He got 27 MILS. from a 280 MILS. JP and yet I don't recall ever hearing anything about the other winners.

Comment #19

haymaker — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 00:59:13 GMT

I think he was a druggie before he won

Comment #18

hearsetrax — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 00:58:31 GMT

curious link I just found : http://www.nndb.com/people/691/000119334/

seems like he was no stranger to Drugs and trouble long b4 he got that lucky

Comment #17

haymaker — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 00:58:07 GMT

No sympathy here either, I mean the guy knew he had a drug problem,

could'nt he have even made a trust fund for his daughter ?

I like cars and would surely buy more than a few, but I would buy a storage facility 1st.

But the worst thing this guy did is give his friends $ for drugs and then eventually pay for their funeral when they overdosed, whats up w/ that,

could have spent money to get them in rehab and helped other ways.

R.I.P. D.L.E.

Comment #16

hearsetrax — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 00:50:44 GMT

they ought to out law HOAs

Comment #15

JonnyBgood07 — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 00:45:48 GMT

I'll never understand big money and new found drug addictions

....of all the things there are to do in this world why would someone with that kind of money even do drugs to begin with

Comment #14

noise-gate — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 00:42:57 GMT

You right. Showing folk that you can afford a jet on a $27 mil win is ludicrous. Trying to maintain that bird is not cheap, its not like he bought a horse and could dump a bale of hay in front of it and say Okay- eat through that one, there's plenty of that stuff!

Millionaires living beyond their means. I sure would have hoped that he left his daughter at least a mil to start her life...but alas nothing.

Comment #13

haymaker — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 00:42:35 GMT

Comment #12

haymaker — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 00:41:56 GMT

He also owed the HOA a ton of money.

Comment #11

helpmewin — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 00:40:41 GMT

Edwards bought this 6,000-square-foot mansion in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, for $1.5 million. He lost it five years later.

he lost the NICE mansion maybe due to taxes

Comment #10

helpmewin — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 00:37:12 GMT

Comment #9

dpoly1 — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 00:33:10 GMT

You never purchase a Lear Jet!

You purchase hours on a FlexJet Card and only pay for the time that you use the jet!

Your other purchases must be made on the scale of the money that is won and any return on investments

Comment #8

magic 007 — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 00:12:29 GMT

I recall watching a documentary called the curse of the Lottery and it featured this guy, knew it was only a matter of time till his demise. RIP

Comment #7

Jammboogie — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 23:30:14 GMT

This article is missing some key pieces. I don't believe everything that I read. Something is not right about this article. He had cars, a lear jet and a house. What happenend to the those items? It is hard for me to believe that this man lost everything that he had. It is hard to read credible news articles these days.

Comment #6

mypiemaster — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 23:19:48 GMT

Blessed with money, cursed with addiction. He LIVED, the way he knew how. At least he had some fun. RIP

Comment #5

maringoman — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 23:13:31 GMT

Yes. Its like the decider of who wins the lottery has a great sense of humor. Some guy in SC decides to play PB for the first time and hit a $400M jp on 09/18/13. Then another guys wins a crazy jp and let their ticket expire. And then we the dillidgent ones cannot even win $1,000. Its crazy.

Comment #4

hearsetrax — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 23:02:02 GMT

well put maringoman

but I'll always have a hard time having sympathy for him

by the same token thats the reason some of us will never win , if only cause the few of us have a game plan

Comment #3

dallascowboyfan — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 22:51:50 GMT

May he RIP.

Comment #2

s5thomps — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 22:50:05 GMT

Sad....that he couldn't leave the drugs alone and control his spending. A chance of a lifetime wasted! RIP

Comment #1

maringoman — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 22:49:50 GMT

If you fail to plan you are planning to fail. RIP Mr Edwards.

Powerball winner dies penniless, 12 years after winning $27 million

Lottery Post — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 22:40:35 GMT

David Edwards spent $12 million in his first year as a millionaire

A Powerball winner has died broke and all alone in hospice care, just 12 years after raking in $27 million cash from a lottery jackpot.

David Lee Edwards, a convicted felon from Ashland, Kentucky, bought a mansion in a gated community, dozens of expensive cars and even a LearJet with the share of a record $280 million jackpot he won in August 2001.

But drug addiction and his free-spending ways left Edwards and his wife S... [ More ]