Sometimes, people's true weakness is exposed only once they have everything they've always wanted. This might be due to the speed at which their lives are flipped upside down. Sudden wealth comes at a price for those who are not prepared, more so for those who find it hard to remain in control of their own urges.
When Michael Caroll won £9.7 million, he barely showed signs of maturity as he annihilated his windfall and destroyed his marriage in the process. The former garbage collector turned millionaire lived excessively following his lottery win, to say the least.
After purchasing a mansion, spending hundreds of thousands on prostitutes and crack cocaine, his wife finally had enough and left him with their baby daughter in tow. However, Michael would soon find himself broke and living life back at the lowest rung of the ladder.
“The party has ended, and it’s back to reality. I haven’t got two pennies to rub together and that’s the way I like it," he famously said. “The dealer who introduced me to crack has more of my lotto money than I do. I’m just glad it’s over. There were also vultures everywhere after my cash. I started to see what people were really like.”
Janite Lee
Janite Lee didn't quite waste her money on the high life. In fact, she gave away most of her winnings to charitable causes. The 52-year-old South Korean immigrant who won $18 million gave away almost all of her jackpot over a period of just eight years. Although Lee accumulated many new friends along the way, she was eventually forced to file for bankruptcy with only $700 left in her account. Janite even donated hundreds of thousands in support of political campaigns.
Ibi Roncaioli
Ibi was never in dire need for money, being married to a successful gynecologist when she won $5 million in the Canadian lottery in 1991. Allegedly, she paid $2 million for the silence of the father of her illegitimate child. She also spent hundreds of thousands on casinos and alcohol fueled parties.
Her husband is understood to have been in the dark as to the extent at which Ibi was splurging. Her spending spree was so out of control that she ended up bankrupting the family. Mr. Roncaioli (allegedly) murdered his wife with a lethal injection made up of a concoction of painkillers.