Lottery winner sued by 'bitter' family because he 'didn’t share' $1.35billion jackpot
Ben Thompson
Featured Image Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images / Getty stock image
Winning the lottery should make you and many others happy, one would have thought.
Sure, you might have a bit of a headache figuring out where to spend your money first. But in our culture, we often think that winning the lottery is hitting the jackpot in life, all pun intended.
Well, one man who struck it big has had nothing but headaches since.
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In fact, his $1.35 billion win has led to his family suing him, as they claim he promised to share with them.
The unidentified man bought the winning Mega Millions ticket in Lebanon, Maine on January 13, 2023.
It's the fourth largest lottery win in US history, with the man looking to secure $500 million after taxes.
His family's lawyer alleged that he promised to share the cash by opening up a million-dollar trust fund and paying his dad's medical expenses.
The winner himself had sued his daughter's mother though, because she broke a non-disclosure agreement by telling the rest of the family about his win.
Apparently, it'd be agreed that they wouldn't known until his daughter turned 18.
This led to a legal battle which is ongoing. And off the back of this, the man's own family have now decided to sue.
In a sworn declaration, the winner's father said: "I told him 'You are not the son I knew'. He got angry, calling me a dictator, and an a**hole.
"I have not heard from my son since, and he has not done any of the things he promised."
This souring of relationships reportedly happened a month or two after he won his prize.
In a declaration filed alongside a motion for sanctions against his daughter's mother, the winner said: "I made the mistake of telling my father that I had won the lottery without having him sign a confidentiality agreement.
"Our relationship deteriorated quickly thereafter. I did not tell him what I was doing with my money, how I was going to benefit my daughter, or any facts other than the simple fact that I had won."
In another complication, the man has accused his daughter's mother of falsely accusing him of kidnapping their daughter.
Why would she have done this?
Allegedly, it came after the man refused to pay for her to go on holiday with a new boyfriend.
With all this hassle, it makes you think that winning the lottery isn't worth it, huh?
I'll stick to being an average Joe, thanks.