15 people who met or knew a lottery winner share what happened to them.

The idea of winning the lottery is pure fantasy and speculation to most of us.

We know that there are real-life winners, but the concept of winning the lottery is a thought experiment for the majority of people.

Except, of course, the actual winners and people who know them.

In a popular Ask Reddit thread, people who met or knew a lottery winner share what happened.

1. From Kahazzarran:

My neighbor won the lottery in his sixties, it was something like 1.2 million in the late 90s. We lived in a trailer park in a rural part of the US, a pretty low-cost-of-living area so the money stretched pretty far.

He bought his trailer and land outright with the money and pretty much just spent every day drinking on his porch and yelling at his goats. IIRC he used a good chunk of what he won to put his son and grandkids through college.

Died of liver failure at like 85 or something. Not a terrible way to do it, all said and done.

2. From BaldEaglz1776:

Technically, a kid from school's parents won a few hundred thousand. His parents were chill, acted like they had the same money as before. But the kid was acting like a baller.

3. From helenemayer:

A woodwork teacher from high school won the lottery twice, I think it was [only] around 250k each time, so he didn’t quit his job.

But he completely gave up on trying to keep the class under control, he’d usually just show us YouTube videos of him racing superbikes in the countryside. He gave me a decent grade for a clock I made at least.

4. From CaseyBoogies:

My MIL won 33k on a scratch-off, she paid off some debt and got new windows installed on her house. The new windows in an 1890s farmhouse are amazing, don't think I've seen a happier woman!

5.

Yeah. 8 figures. They stayed in the same house. Added a second story to that house. Put a lot of statues in the yard. So now there's this house, and it's kind of in a rough area behind a Food Lion.

But there's a two-story brick house in the middle of a neighborhood where the rest of the houses are small single-family homes with pink siding that haven't been updated since the 60s.

Then this brick house has a tiny front yard filled a bunch of statues of Jesus. And palm trees even though they don't grow natively here. And a really fancy gate for the driveway, but no fence around the rest of the yard.

They stayed loyal to their community and I respect that. Also, they have a golf cart to ride to the corner store and buy their daily scratch-offs.

6. From greihund:

Two people, actually. One was a friend of mine in high school who won $15k on a scratch-and-win. She rented a house downtown and threw a party. Somebody said I should stop by and check in on her.

They'd been down to the party and hardly recognized anybody. Sure enough, I got there, my friend met me on the door, put waaay too much money in my hands and told me to go get a bottle of wine.

She just partied with whoever was around until it was gone, took about three weeks. Next was a friend of mine from Toronto who is mostly known for doing zombie walks. She won a 'cash for life' dealio and I think it's around ten thousand a month.

She bought a theramin and started making 50s-style monster movies and is generally living a high-rolling rockabilly lifestyle.

7. From Eveleyn:

Someone got 30k or something. Not too much, not too less. She got a lot of hate for not 'sharing her riches' whatever the f*ck that means.

8. From midtownislandgrrl:

I know TWO people that won $30 million each - a coworker of my dad. My dad had to cover his shift when he didn't show for work. It turned out he was at the lottery office claiming his win) and my sister's former assistant.

She is still in touch with her - she built a home in and moved to France with her husband.

9. From Unable-Astronaut-677:

My aunt's husband won $36 million. They bought property and travelled. He liked to fish and drink and build stuff. He passed away 3 years ago, but he was an awesome dude.

10. From hornblower_83:

Friend won 1 million. They paid off their house. Saved for their kids education and basically don’t live paycheque to paycheque anymore. Both of them still work full time.

11. From Blondefarmgirl:

Friends of ours won 30 mill. They took a group of us on vacation. Bought a cottage and built a house not much really changed. They are doing great.

12. From perkasiedude:

I sold mortgages for a bit and talked to a lady who was dead broke, in mountains of debt and was trying to consolidate debt and refinance her house.

Through the course of conversation, it came to light that she won almost $4 million playing the lottery (and took home ~$2 mil after taxes) about 3 years earlier.

She was in bad financial shape, so I asked what she did with all the money and how she got into the situation she was in, and she honestly had no idea.

Her words were essentially 'We took a few trips, bought 2 new cars, paid off the house and stuff, but I have no clue how I spent $2 million and racked up over $100k in credit card debt in 3 years.'

13. From MrFartyBottom:

A mate's brother was in a syndicate at work back in the early 90s. They won and he gave his car to his brother and was looking at buying a house.

It turned out that it was the most people ever at the time to win and he ended up only getting $20K. He asked his brother for his car back.

14. From TheClayroo:

My stepdad's brother won 4.3m 20 years ago. Still chillin'. Invested in real estate and kept rolling them over for profit.

15. From Mandalasan_612:

My sister's ex won around $150 million. Nicest guy, his brother manages the money so he doesn't blow it. Living his best life, money never changed him, because he was already so chill.

Dude deserves it after putting up with my sister. Helped out my niece (not his daughter) with college.