Denise Rossi won $1.3 million in the lotto on December 28, 1996. Eleven days later, she filed for divorce from her husband, and in the meanwhile, she failed to disclose her little inheritance. Her intention was to start over, single and wealthy. Her spouse, who thought they were happy, was taken aback. He didn't find out the real reason for the divorce until a few years later—she had won the lotto and didn't want him to collect any of the money!

Despite being married for 25 years, Rossie claimed in court records that she kept the winnings hidden because she didn't want her husband to get his hands on them. It took two years for her ex-husband to find she'd won and then sue her. The judge was not sympathetic to her avaricious predicament and charged her of fraud or malice for breaking disclosure laws.

The judge ordered her to make 20 yearly installments of $66,800 to her ex-husband. This amounts to slightly more than $1.3 million. In other words, she gave up all she had gained. Rossi then filed an appeal, but she lost.

Lottery Winning Year: December 28, 1996
Nationality: American

When William Post earned $16.2 million in 1988, he probably felt he had addressed all of his issues. But within five years, he was complaining about how no one understands what a horror of having money is. Post was the only one who knew. After he won, his brother placed hit on him in an attempt to murder him.

Post was sued by his previous landlord, with whom he had made an agreement to split his profits before he won. Post was unable to comply with the court's order to provide her with a third. He'd developed a terrible habit of squandering his yearly installments on frivolous and pointless purchases. He bought a lot of cars for one of his brothers, a restaurant for another, and a jet for himself despite having no pilot's license. He continued accruing debts and then bought more useless things.

To get out of debt, he auctioned off his 17 remaining yearly payments, then spent the majority of the proceeds on additional crap like a yacht, two more residences, and automobiles. As a result, when he passed away in 2006 he was living on disability and poor.

Lottery Winning Year: 1988

Nationality: American

Most individuals will never know what it's like to be a millionaire. Would you consider purchasing a mansion? Cars? Vacations? Is it all of the above? You can imagine how enticing that cash would be. So, what would you do if you lost everything?

Jim Hayes earned $19 million, which seemed to be more than enough to live well for the rest of his life. However, Hayes, like so many other victors, overspent. He purchased multi-million dollar residences as well as six Lamborghinis. He went on lavish vacations. He also developed a heroin addiction.

Hayes won the lotto at the age of 35 in 1998 then he spent and spent some more. He borrowed against money he hadn't yet received. It all caught up with him in the end. He turned to pharmaceutical pain relievers due to three ruptured discs. He had to declare bankruptcy by 2007. He was denied access to his winnings, which were used to pay off his obligation. He moved into a low-cost flat that ultimately burnt down.

Hayes had switched to bank robbery by 2017. Over the course of five months, he stole 11 banks. He received only 33 months in prison since he had no prior record and did not employ a weapon.

Lottery Winning Year: January 1997

Nationality: American

Bazil Thorne, an Australian, won £100,000 in 1960. In today's money, it would be worth millions, therefore it was exceptional at the time. Though it appears insane by today's standards, the newspaper posted not just the name but also the home location of lottery winners on the main page in 1960.

Thorne's 8-year-old son was abducted after school by a former insurance salesman who had lost his job. He had to pay rent for a pricey home and a family of his own, and he clearly couldn't think of a better way to make ends meet. He contacted the lottery winner and demanded a part of his winnings or he would kill the youngster.

Meanwhile, the kidnapper tied a scarf around the boy's head to keep him from crying and placed him in the trunk of his car. The youngster was dead the next time kidnapper checked on him. It was unclear if his death was caused by head trauma or asphyxia, according to officials. It was suggested that the kidnapper had no "true" goal of killing the youngster because he needed him to receive the money, his motives were evidently insignificant. The killer was apprehended and imprisoned, and regulations were prepared to allow lottery winners to stay nameless, but none of it was likely to bring the Thorne any consolation.

Lottery Winning Year: 1960

Nationality: Australian

There’s an old saying that goes “when it rains it pours” and few people have experienced that quite like Tonda Dickerson. Dickerson was working as a server at a Waffle House when a customer left her a lotto ticket as a tip. That weekend, she earned $10 million. Then danger arrived.

In many establishments, tips are combined. Dickerson's employees thought that they all deserved an equal share of her victory, so they filed a lawsuit. She lost at first, but won on appeal because she won the lottery in Florida but resided in Alabama, where gambling was outlawed.

Dickerson was subsequently sued by the man who had issued her the ticket. He said the waitress had promised to purchase him a vehicle if she won. That claim was dismissed. But the situation was far from finished. Dickerson was divorced two years before she won the lotto. Her ex-husband attempted to abduct her. She actually managed to shoot him and then take him to a hospital afterward.

Lottery Winning Year: 1999

Nationality: American

Lara and Roger Griffiths in West Yorkshire, UK, were a happily married couple of 14 years when they won a National Lottery prize of more than $2.37 million in 2005. According to all reports, they seldom argued. However, earning such a large quantity of money seems to drive a stake straight through the heart of their relationship. Initially, their spending was predictable: a large house, a Porsche for Roger, and a Lexus for Lara.

They took several lavish vacations, staying at 5-star hotels. Roger quit his job and spent around $33,000 producing a record with a band he'd performed with in university - a session that amounted to one single track. Despite spending $2,000 a month on a publicist, the single only sold 600 copies. There were also Louis Vuitton shopping excursions and private schooling for their two daughters. Instead of cutting back, the pair grew increasingly lavish.

Roger thought he'd dabble in real estate without any expertise or understanding, and Lara once ran a beauty shop, but all of their ventures failed miserably, especially when the real estate market plummeted. The marriage was crumbling under the pressure, and then a bizarre accident caused by a malfunctioning boiler sparked a fire that destroyed their new house. By 2011, the couple had divorced, with all of their money gone, only one home remaining, and a big mortgage to pay.

Lottery Winning Year: 2005

Nationality: British

Urooj Khan, an Indian immigrant working as a dry cleaner in Chicago, won $1 million on June 19, 2012. He chose the lump-sum option and got his award. He passed away on July 20, 2012. The first medical investigation of the 46-year-old revealed that he died of natural causes. But something didn't set right with one of the investigators, and the body was excavated after it had already been buried. More testing confirmed that the lotto winner had been poisoned with cyanide.

As the police launched a murder investigation, Khan's wife and daughter went to court to dispute over the estate because Khan had left no will. A third of his inheritance was subsequently handed to his widow, with the remaining going to his stepdaughter. Meanwhile, the murder case has stalled. In 2016, police issued a statement indicating the case was still open and an active investigation was ongoing, prompting Khan's sister to complain to the public about the lack of progress. She has named Khan's wife and father-in-law as suspects, both of whom have denied any participation.

Lottery Winning Year: June 19, 2012

Nationality: Indian

Abraham Shakespeare led a simple life in his home in Florida when he won a $30 million lottery win in 2006. The individual was soon pursued by friends for loans, the majority of which were never repaid. He'd spent most of the $30 million in a couple of years. That's when he met Dorice Moore, a blonde who became his friend. She promised to assist him in getting rid of all his moochers and hangers-on. In reality, she stole $2 million from his account.

He is claimed to have told his mother shortly before his death that he wished he had never won the money. Abraham vanished in April 2009, and his corpse was recovered the following year beneath a concrete slab in the backyard of a property Moore had purchased and put in the name of her partner.

Moore, who had previously been convicted of insurance fraud, attempted everything to make Abraham appear to be alive, including messaging his family and friends from his phone, but they didn't believe him since Abraham was illiterate. She even tried to pay individuals into saying they'd lately seen him. Moore was charged with first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in 2012, with an additional 35 years added for a weapons crime.

Lottery Winning Year: 2006

Nationality: American

How horrible would it be if you knew you had won the lotto but couldn't find the ticket? That is the nightmare Martyn and Kay Tott found themselves in after winning the lotto in 2001. The ticket was acquired by the couple in September of 2000. The two didn't even realize they'd won until they watched an appeal on TV about an unclaimed lottery ticket for £3 million (about $5 million) later.

They verified the numbers and recognized them as their own, but they couldn't find the ticket anywhere. Despite this, Martyn was able to recall the store, day, and even the exact moment he purchased the ticket, so he went to Camelot, the lottery business, with his case.

After a six-week inquiry, Camelot determined that they had purchased the ticket... but had failed to file a claim for a lost ticket within 30 days, as required by lottery regulations. The jackpot became the greatest unclaimed lottery jackpot since 1994. The couple described their loss as "the cruelest torment conceivable."

Lottery Winning Year: 2001

Nationality: British

Winning $20 million should be the beginning of an exciting new chapter in one's life. Or so you'd think. For Jeffrey Dampier, he used his winnings to start his own gourmet popcorn business, as well as to buy gifts for friends and family. This included Victoria, his sister-in-law, with whom he was having an affair...

Dampier should have thought twice about indulging his beloved mistress, considering she wasn't feeling too generous herself. Victoria and her lover, Nathaniel, agreed to rob Dampier since the things he was buying for her were seemingly insufficient. They chained his wrists and feet together, and the heist took a terrible turn.

"Shoot him or I'll shoot you," Nathaniel allegedly said to Victoria. Victoria chose to save her own skin by shooting Dampier in the back of the head, killing him. All for the sake of money. It almost makes you wonder if winning the lotto is really all that great. Or, if you do get lucky, make sure you surround yourself with individuals who don't want to take it all away from you.

Lottery Winning Year: 1996

Nationality: American