In 1997, Billie Bob Harrell Jr. hit the jackpot, winning $32 million before taxes. With his lottery winnings, the former Pentecostal preacher bought a Texas ranch, bought six homes for family members, bought numerous vehicles for himself and family and loaned his money out to friends and family. Twenty months after his big win, Harrell went bankrupt and committed suicide.
This is just one story of a new lottery-given life going horribly wrong. Many lotto winners end up with gambling problems, substance abuse problems, marital problems, and ultimately end up in bankruptcy.
Others are more successful with their lottery winnings. They use their winnings to pay off debt and to make investments. If embraced, lotto winnings can be cultivated into a wondrous retirement fund. Brad Duke, who took home $85 million dollars after taxes, brought his net worth up to $130 million in just three years.
In this infographic, Casino.org explores the stories of lotto winners and losers as well as the latest and greatest lotto winners around the globe.
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![The Lottery's Biggest Winning Losers [Infographic] 1](https://i0.wp.com/img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?w=1104 "The Lottery's Biggest Winning Losers [Infographic] 3")
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