Payout is anonymous, but winner's identity may be revealed later, pending court case
A woman who sued the New Hampshire state lottery commission asking it to allow her to collect the $559.7 million prize she had won without making her name public collected her winnings on Wednesday, lottery officials said, and kept her privacy for now.
The woman won the fifth-largest jackpot in the history of the multi-state Powerball lottery drawing in early January but began her legal odyssey when she signed her winning ticket with her own name, which would make her identity a matter of public record.
(See NH Powerball lottery winner sues for anonymity, Lottery Post, Feb. 2, 2018.)
The winner's attorney, William Shaheen, said in a statement he was collecting the prize in the name of the Good Karma Family 2018 Nominee Trust, which the winner established to serve as a legal mechanism to accept the money. Her award was a one-time payment that came to $264 million after taxes.
In court papers, Shaheen, a former federal prosecutor who is married to New Hampshire Governor Jeanne Shaheen, had asked a judge to allow the winner to amend her ticket to show only the name of a trust. He argued that had the winner created the trust before signing the ticket, she could have collected her winnings without making her identity public.
"We recognize the tremendous interest this prize has generated but hope you appreciate our client's desire to maintain a sense of normalcy by keeping her name confidential," Shaheen said in a statement.
He said the winner immediately donated $250,000 of her winnings to four New Hampshire charities aimed at improving girls' lives and fighting hunger.
A state court judge is still determining whether to allow the winner to keep her name out of the public record. The state lottery commission last month agreed to pay out the prize while the court case continued.
Great news. Maybe this will lead to at least having a winner remain anonymous for a period of time, like 6 months, and start a precedent.
I agree Artist. Even if a short period of time it gives a person time to move.
I'm sure the usual LP suspects are extremely disappointed.
"the winner immediately donated $250,000 of her $264 million after tax winnings to four New Hampshire charities"
That comes to less than 0.1%. Why did she even bother?
I hope she wins her case and it sets a precedent for other states to enact similar privacy laws to protect winners.
that's just plain cheap wow millionaire only donated 250,000 to 4 charities u can't take it with u
I believe that "the sanctity of the home" played a major part in the judge's decision. I agree with all the posters who agree with this decision. One more step closer to anonymity in another State.
"I believe that "the sanctity of the home" played a major part in the judge's decision."
What decision do you think the judge made?
"He said the winner immediately donated $250,000 of her $264 million after tax winnings"
Fixed that for you. Just because her lawyer says something doesn't make it true. He's been trying to use BS instead of the law to win the case since they came up with the name of the trust.
"That comes to less than 0.1%. Why did she even bother?"
How much of her winnings do you think she should donate in the very first week that she's rich?
According to a YouTube video, the Court has not made the final decision. She will appeal if she loses.
When I win I will ask everyone to stop spending my money. You should get elected if you want to spend other people's money.
My fingers are crossed 4 her ...... ought to be most interesting
at minimal they ought to allow a person/s at least 6 months
Lol. A perfect response.
For the actual allegedly real attorneys out there, one can find precedent or distinguish any existing law or rule in existance. That is how a body of case law develops. It seems like most of the people who are not attorneys, have a better grasp of how case law develops.
She just got the money yesterday and folks are upset because she hasn't given enough (for them) of it away. smh
Congratulations to her. Hope she can keep her privacy.
.1% donation. if that amount - or any amount - held sway in the Judge's decision I would be shocked.
However, the longer she gets "allowed" to remain anonymous is a great potential precedent for future winners. I'm all for having her have her name put on display after she finally loses all her appeals; thus finally stopping the clock for her as "test case" in what could be future reasonable expectation of time-frames for anonymity. 3 months after collecting? 6 months after collecting?
While personal opinions vary, her giving could be as a start to a larger amount for those particular groups. Maybe she is doing some research with her legal team on other avenues of giving ? All kinds of unknowns as to why and how much, BUT.. she is giving and she is giving a heck of a lot more than i can at this time.
Thanks madam lottery winner... keep up your fight for privacy....
Taking this case as a possible warning, maybe you (general you) should come up with a good name for a trust in case you win a big prize. I am thinking of weird type names, (bilbo & frodo trust, smaug vs dwarves trust, the laurelindorian trust, etc) so that if hubby and I win, we have a name set to sign.
” Personal opinions vary”- True. My post mentioned $5-10 mil as a start, why? Because when you as a jackpot winner “ gives later” who pays attention? Who out there is going to say “ Oh my.. did you know that so and so gave another $10 mil to charity.” Who would know- In a word, NO ONE! Given that this winner wants to do the charity work behind closed doors, good luck keeping tabs on that endeavor.Mother always said ” First impression counts.” Those words still ring true.
Further evidence: Back in 2014, a $400 million plus jackpot winner from CA, ticket bought in Milpitas, said that he wants to pour money into research for kids diseases etc etc. l have yet to read of any of his money going to that and other causes. This is not to say he is not doing it, but l * think if you give $10 mil and folks never hear from you again, you still look * good.
The only relevance of "him saying" she donated anything is for public opinion. Just a guess but it seems like the judge is allowing her some extra time to get her stuff together before ruling the lottery must release her name.
I "don't judge a book by its cover". To do so would be utterly gormless on my part.... One particular act of monetary donation has never established the content of ones character (imho). Here is hoping that all LP folks have at least 1 jackpot in there life
If the judge rules in her favor and grants immunity that may open a pandora's box for the state. As they would be 'changing' the rules after someone has won. Couldnt anyone who wins then sue the state to 'change the rules' since the state did it for this lady?
I am in the camp of NO for this lady. Now if the state wants to change the law NOW, which will effect future winners that is fine. Sorry but the state cannot change the rules after a win.
I agree. And the Bible ...Mathew I think...speaks or charity as the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing. It means so much more to give quietly and anonymously. I would be sceptical of anyone advertising their good deeds or wanting to seek publicity for their actions. Seeking publicity for good deeds cheapens the whole giving.
And I cannot imagine dissing someone for only giving$ 250,000. That amount of money can work wonders for charities.
Immunity??? I am sure any decision will be limited to the facts of the situation. Remember, she did NOT win in an anonymous state.
” That’s a wonderful notion to live by- not judging a book by its cover”- but for the most part as humans, that is not true.Explain: That person Standing on the street corner with a cardboard cutout reading” hungry need money” for the most part, one may think, my contribution could be to a beer or hard liquor. The neighbor driving an expensive car while putting themselves in serious debt, one could assume they have come into money, yet they could be doing it to impress the neighbors who do have money, and lots of it. I would rather have winners not divulge their plans to the public, than say they going to do this or that.
Even the Son of Man remained Silent when asked a direct question from Pilate. Silence at times, is Golden.
I'll say it again, it is definitely time for a Jackpot Winners Protection Program.
I started signing the back of my tickets a long time ago by using the name of my first pet (Pete, the Parakeet) and the street I grew up on (Utah Ave). So if y'all see a big prize claimed by The Pete Utah Family Trust, you know it is me.
Ha! Ha!
Correct. The state law precedes her individual desire to be a snowflake.
Her privacy is equal to every. Other citizen that pays taxes. It's not in jeopardy.
The 2nd amendment allows her this Priveledge.
I'm a staunch believer in above board transparency. Deception has zero place in a business or those who pay into it.
That charity act was for taxes. Period. The funds will take 6-8 weeks to technically be in her account. Sec has strict rules on deposits of this size filtering into an account .
Awwwww
A 0.1% donation is the same as tipping a server 10 cents on a $100 check. As for setting a precedent, the court ruling only applies to NH.
"However, the longer she gets "allowed" to remain anonymous is a great potential precedent for future winners."
If there's any precedent at this point it's just being allowed to claim the money before the lawsuit is resolved. Since we're still waiting on the ruling I don't think it's accurate to say that she's being allowed to remain anonymous. She's just being allowed to claim the prize while the court decides if it's the name she already signed on the ticket that gets released, or the name of the trust she's using to collect the prize. Once the ruling is issued future winners won't have the benefit of waiting for a ruling because the matter will already be settled.
"l have yet to read of any of his money going to that and other causes."
There could be any number of reasons for using the name "Good Karma", but based on the number of times I've seen something about her lawyer telling the media about her plans to donate to charity I'm less than convinced that the reason in this case is based on an intent to do good things with the money and give selflessly. It could be all/mostly about creating a public perception, and possibly targeted toward the very near future as the court case proceeds, and it would certainly be a great name for somebody who wants to make a public spectacle of their donations.
Regardless of what name you use it's also possible to give discreetly or anonymously. I don't see any real downside to having your name listed as one of the many people who donated $10, $25, or $100 to some cause, but there's a very definite downside to having your name connected to donations of 10, 25, or 100 grand, assuming you want to make your own decisions without being pestered by people looking for a handout. The guy you're talking about may not even have donated his old socks to Goodwill, or he may have donated millions of dollars anonymously or with the stipulation that the gifts not be publicized.
"Couldnt anyone who wins then sue the state to 'change the rules'"
If you get busted for making kiddie porn you can file a lawsuit claiming that the state is violating your rights under the first amendment, but that doesn't mean you'd have a chance of winning. In this case there's the obvious logic that NH law doesn't specifically require the name of the actual person who wins to be released, and if she hadn't made the mistake of signing her own name she could have had the name of the trust and it's trustee released instead. The argument that she should still be able to claim as a trust and not have her name released makes sense, but that doesn't mean that it's permissible based on what the law says. IMHO, the lottery's argument that the law says that the ticket is a public document and would be void if altered doesn't allow room for a ruling that what she wants is legal, even if it's logical.
Likewise, any lawsuits filed by future winners will win or lose based on the law and the facts of the case. In the event that she wins judges in other jurisdictions can accept the ruling as persuasive precedent, but the only binding precedent that will be established is that winners in NH can sign their own name and then claim as a trust. Thanks to this case I'd imagine that most NH players now know that they shouldn't use their own name.
"I started signing the back of my tickets ... The Pete Utah Family Trust"
There are at least 2 possible problems with signing the name of an entity that you don't already own. It's not likely, but you could be signing somebody else's name on the ticket. Creating a name for a trust is just like creating a name for a business. You need to do a search and make sure that the name you want isn't already being used by somebody else. Even if nobody else is using the name you're still not signing with a name that protects your ownership interest if the Pete Utah Family Trust doesn't exist. If somebody got possession of your winning ticket they might beat you to the punch and create the trust before you.
LOL!!!! What the (BLEEP) did I put immunity for?? Multi-tasking wins the day and reminds me to slow down.
But a precedent in another state can still be cited in pleadings in other matters. It may not have as much weight, but it still helps even if it not binding on another state.
Lol
PS There is NO issue with you signing a trust name on the back. Keep doing it. Trusts are not filed or public documents so the probability of someone claiming it with the same trust name is not even worth worrying about and this trust is only to claim the money. Additional private trusts could be created after you received your money...for children, etc. ..but they are new trusts and your claiming trust ends after you receive the money.
i'm just glad she got her money
Artist77,
How about every jackpot winner going the trust route from now on calling their trust The Ann Nonymous trust.
"Ann Nonymous trust wins again!"
l can’t ever see CA going the anonymity route. Their handbook says “ You may form a Trust, but * we still going to tell people who you are, how much you won, and where the winning ticket was bought. The only “ out” you allowed, is if you hold the cardboard check high enough to hide your face...but it’s the name that gives you away. It’s a “ you can hide scenario, but you ain’t running nowhere.”
That is a good name CT. I will add it to my list.
Anna N Mity?
I am going with " Can't Decide about needing a Trust"
"if you hold the cardboard check high enough to hide your face...but it’s the name that gives you away."
That's why I can't understand the reason for wearing a disguse when your name is going to be published. And the notion that the California Lottery will change its rules base on what the NH lottery does is silly at best.
In old England, this wouldn't be an issue. The United Kingdom National Lottery, which is run by a Canadian company, is the most successful lottery in the world. All prizes are tax-free and winners have the right to remain anonymous, which the vast majority do.
Are you talking about Camelot?
I guess that past winners saw what happened to Mark Gardiner and chose anonymity.
Most of U.S. winners have to deal with the press. It's like shaking a red flag in front of the bull of the tabloid press and the broadsheets.
Marvin and Mae Acosta from Chino Hills chose the correct way to claim their one-third share of $1.6 billion dollar Power Ball jackpot. Won on Jan. 13, 2016 a Wednesday night. But their names will always be out there in the public sphere.
If we could only learn from the U.K.
Which is why l purchase ALL my tickets in neighboring cities Stack. My last name is German, and to the best of my knowledge, there are only 2-3 folks with that last name in the entire city l live in. In order to throw red meat in the opposite direction, l go an extra mile in an attempt to baffle the search hounds.lts the next best thing from breaking into a safe, using your toes. Have those fingerprint experts running around in circles.
I thought that the Trustee(s) had to sign all trust documents.
The winner is on record stating she plans to give away $50M to charitable causes. She didn't say she was going to do it all on Day One.
The problem will always be how the lottery is perceived by future potential players. By not publishing names, the lotteries feel that it takes away from their game and future sales. It’s debatable on both sides I suppose.
The trustee with a trust is your rep, typically an attorney. She/he claims the money and ensures it is deposited to a bank account. The trust agreement between the winner and the attorney is a private document and not disclosed/provided to the lottery officials. It is usually a short term trust just to claim the money.
I too have an unique last name; only two people in the entire state have it.
One of my favorite quotes by some the large jackpot winners is "I plan to keep on working and my life won't change". I suppose it depends on the type of job, but do they really believe life will go on the same?
Lots of people here seem to think state lotteries are responsible for the security the large jackpot prize winners, but prize winners under $10 million should be on their own. Most stores have security cams so it should be given if the winner is a regular, the store will know who they are. Lots of states have Online wagering for players that want total anonymity.
Go to KY lottery website and look @ the winners. The on-line winners are not anonymous, albeit $50K is the largest one so far posted. In Louisville, a man cashed in a $1K ticket and thugs killed him for the money. Waiting to see when one big MM or PB winner plays on line in KY and wins.
l was being generous when l said there were 2-3 persons in my city with my last name. Did a name search of my State, and like yourself there are only 2 in CA. Now if only we were all born with numbers instead of names, how do you say Slam dunk!
Does she really receive $250 million after taxes ?
Cash option minus 37% federal taxes = take home if claimed in 2018 (no state income tax in N.H.)
.
Thank you Artist
None of the reasons for states that don't allow winners to remain anonymous can counter the fact that states and countries that dp allow winners to remain anonymous haven't had to discontinue their lotteries.
Just male remaining anonymous an option and those who want to 'shout it from the rooftops' can do so uf they want to and those who want to win 'stealth' can also do so.
An Ohio Lottery winner was robbed and killed too, but it wasn't because they saw his name in the paper or on the website. It's difficult to say if it was lottery publicity from Abraham Shakespeare winning the jackpot death or from the Michael Ford law suit.
The KY Lottery posts the first names and city of all Online winners over $100. I don't buy MM or PB Online so I if that is a problem, I won't have it.
Amen. So right!
Come on Stack47. I just looked up an on line winner from KY...full First and last name from Saylersville...$50K! I will give them credit to make it a few clicks to find out the information, but there it is. Her name is Jessica Ballard. Others are there too for yours or anyone else perusal.
Denying anonymity to winners has nothing to do with transparency. As discussed before, an outside reputable firm can audit the winners to ensure everything is above board.
Why the states fight it is because flashing people's names on thousands of computer screens in each state, in 3 inch block letters for years, is free advertising for the lotteries. And they do this for years. It might be different if they released the winner's name to the msm and made it public to inquiries and that was it.
I dont see where in the regulations/laws that is legal. I'd love to see it channeled on those grounds.
About Abraham Lee Shakespeare. Dee Dee Moore talked to the real estate agent who sold Abraham his home.
I agree that the Michael Ford lawsuit may have also been a factor in this case. Michael Ford asked Abraham for a few hundred dollars before he sued him. If it was me I might have given Ford the money. That would have saved Abraham the lawyer fees.
RIP Abraham
I'm happy she got her money but I guess all that money still isn't giving her what she wants yet. Most people think that winning the lottery is the answer to all their problems. I guess a well thought out plan if you won really makes a difference between a lot of aggravation or getting to make your dreams come true.Even finding a good lawyer is hard to do. I wish her the best.
Yes
. I * think it would serve all parties if people requested the name of the winner from the State lottery, by them emailing it to these inquisitive folks in private. You the winner, must be alerted by email, the name/ names of the individuals who requested this information. You want to know about me, l would like to know about you! Why? Because if you the requester “ go overboard “ l will like to have my attorney go after you.Especially if you spew damaging & dishonest information about me.
* All is fair in love and war, they say.
Moore approached Shakespeare about writing a book after the Ford lawsuit. The regular posters on LP probably know the names and states of more jackpot winners than the average player, but without follow-up stories, we quickly forget about them.
IMO, if they must by law release the winners' names, wait at least a month just to be safe.
If l won, l do not expect to claim immediately, l want to stew a little, before coming to a boil.Hopefully the jackpot can build up to a reasonable point where, when l do claim players thoughts are elsewhere. Its those who claim right after the jackpot is won & those who wait a good 4-6 months that draws the attention of the " l wonder who won" bunch.l want to be right there in the middle when l claim, right at the sweet spot. Open Sesame!
Very nice, it seems like this very fortunate woman was able to keep here identity in today's latest ruling in her case. The judge ruled that only her hometown would be released (Merrimack, N.H) but hopefully she is still able to stay safe. I know she made a huge mistake but Im grateful that she was given a lucky break. Im pretty sure someone will post a article about it in the next few hrs anyways for those who want to read more into the case. Take care folks!!
I just read she can remain anonymous! Good for her! She also educated the public on what to do if you won the lottery which is good for future winners.
I was talking about "Online wagering",instant games wins over $100 and not the start page that shows the bigger wins. They show the larger drawn game prize winners too.