After a drunk-driving incident, Curtis Sharp, Jr. And the money ran out, forcing him to borrow money from his first wife. He was drinking hard, even passing out in front of his new girlfriend's house. Five years later, his second wife divorced him, too.
The year after he won the lottery, he left his wife for a lover and had a huge wedding. He was spending more than his big yearly annuity checks covered, and his party-hard attitude was wearing on him. Unfortunately, Sharp's lifestyle wasn't sustainable. he lived big and became one of the lottery's best-known winners because of it. With his larger-than-life personality, his distinctive bowler hat, and the way he loved to flash his newly-won money around, he was a walking advertisement for the lottery. Sharp, who'd been a dishwasher before he struck it rich, became known as the "Five Million Dollar Man". The lottery was facing an image problem, and Sharp seemed like just the person they needed to spread the word that everyday people could turn their lives around by buying a ticket. Image © Andrew Paterson / Getty ImagesĬurtis Sharp, Jr., who won a $5 million jackpot in 1982, was a dream come true for the lottery's public relations department. was famous for his lottery win and his bowler hats. You can read more about Jack Whittaker's story here: Powerball Winner Says He's Cursed.Ĭurtis Sharp, Jr. "I think if you have something, there's always someone else that wants it. "Since I won the lottery, I think there is no control for greed," Jack Whittaker said. Whittaker lost the people he loved and the money that he won, and he blames his "lucky" windfall. His daughter, Brandi's mother, was found dead seven years after he won the jackpot. The deaths had devastating consequences for Whittaker's family. A year later, Brandi was found dead under suspicious circumstances. Friends wouldn't even let her attend the funeral. However, his generosity backfired when her wealth attracted a bad crowd.Ī boyfriend of Brandi's died of an overdose in a house Whittaker was developing, and Brandi was implicated. He gave her a huge allowance and four cars. He enjoyed spoiling his granddaughter, Brandi. His relationship with his wife, who'd been with him since he was 14 years old, deteriorated. He'd get handsy with women and offer them money to sleep with him or take off their clothes for him. He started drinking hard and getting into fights. Whittaker began to unravel under the strain. To make things worse, his company was hit with frivolous lawsuits from people who wanted to get access to his deep pockets, which cost him millions in legal fees. In a separate incident, $100,000 was later stolen from another car. One evening, while he was visiting a strip club, someone stole about half a million dollars from his car. His habit of leaving large amounts of money in his car became widely known. He was deluged with people asking for money and favors. Not all states let winners stay anonymous, and Jack Whittaker's win was widely publicized. He gave her a new house, a new car, and a pile of cash. Jack Whittaker did a lot of good with the money he won, setting up a charitable foundation, donating money to build churches in West Virginia, and even being remarkably generous to the woman who sold him the winning ticket. However, Jack Whittaker found his lottery winnings changed him more than the wealth he'd earned himself did. When he bought the ticket, his company brought in about $15 million a year in contracts.
He added that to the already significant amount he'd earned by working his way up from poverty to the owner of a West Virginia contracting company. He chose a lump sum payment instead of an annuity, so he took home $113-some million from his $314.9 lottery ticket. He became a jackpot winner on Christmas morning in 2002. Unlike many winners, Andrew "Jack" Whittaker was already wealthy when he won the largest jackpot ever awarded to a single Powerball winner. Powerball jackpot winner Scott Gries with granddaughter Brandy, who died of a drug overdose.
0 kommentar(er)
