First-Time Lottery Players Who Won the Jackpot
Most of us have played the lottery several times, and despite having our fingers crossed for big wins, we tend to accept our losses before we even know for certain. For those playing the lottery for the first time, the experience always seems to be one filled with hope. After all, someone’s gotta win, right? For these first-time lottery players who won the jackpot, luck was definitely on their side.
18-Year-Old Lotto Max Winner Alyssa Caetano
The first-time winner never expected to win and was "kind of speechless" when she checked the tickets and learned the good news. While it may not have been the $70 million jackpot that got her to play, Caetano certainly had no hard feelings and planned to use the money to buy her mother a new car and a plane ticket so that her best friend, who lives in Croatia, can come visit her. The rest she plans to invest and/or put towards buying her own home. Considering many young winners tend to blow their money on frivolous things, she seems like she's got a good head on her shoulders.
New York Lotto Winner Mi Hyun Moon
The winner accepted a lump sum payout of over $2.8 million, which amounted to nearly $1.9 million after taxes. To say she was shocked would be an understatement, but more than anything, she was relieved knowing her kids’ college funds would be covered. This was a monumental win for Moon, who’d emigrated from Korea to the United States in 1989 at the young age of 20. When asked about the other ways she planned to spend her winnings, Moon said she intended to donate money to her church. Rich or not, she maintained her love for her community.
Loto Quebec Winner Charlie Lagarde
When provided with the option of taking a CA $1 million lump sum or an annuity payment of $1,000 a week for the rest of her life, the winner sought advice from a financial adviser. After her consultation, she chose the annuity payout, as this was the tax-free option. Likewise, this would provide her with more than $52,000 a year, which would allow her to start a relatively stress-free adult life.
When Lagarde was asked how she would spend her money, she said she had plans to travel as well as fund her education. As a student who aspired to be a photographer for National Geographic, this path for her certainly made the most sense.
EuroMillions Winner Jane Park
The details of Jane Park’s life after winning the lottery quickly became public knowledge. Her shopping spiralled out of control, enough so that her excessive buying was soon publicised. After her big win, she bought a Louis Vuitton handbag. Next, she bought a Chihuahua and named her “Princess,” which is certainly on par with what wealthy celebrities would do. While these purchases might not seem like much of a big deal, she went on to buy designer shoes, more designer handbags, a purple Range Rover, and even breast implants. Her spending habits were irresponsible at best, but eventually, she grew tired of the materialism. She realised money couldn’t buy her happiness—instead, it made her life much more complicated.
When interviewed later about how winning had affected her, Park answered that the experience had essentially ruined her life. Though it was filled with material items, her life felt “empty” to her in every other way. She now advocates that the minimum age for winning the lottery (16) is too young and should be raised to 18, as young teenagers aren’t always equipped to handle their winnings responsibly.
Despite all of the troubles she encountered, Park is now a much different person. She credits her family for helping her make wiser spending decisions. She owns two properties of her own and is much less obsessed with materialism than she was at 17.
Powerball Winner Lisa Quam
During an interview on December 4, the winner admitted she wasn’t sure whether she should take the lump sum option or annuity payments. While the lump sum would’ve given her $56.8 million (before taxes), the annuity option would’ve paid out the full amount over 30 years. Regardless, she and her family knew for certain that they would have enough money to do anything they wanted. While Quam acknowledged paying student loans and fixing up her house was a priority, she also noted she was excited to travel more and bought herself a Subaru Forester. It was clear that she’d be a modest spender, but she was also more than ready to take care of her family in a bigger way—so much so that she immediately retired from her job.
Conclusion
The stories of these lottery winners show us that some people have insane luck, but who’s to say we’re not amongst them? Sure, it can be difficult to not feel defeated after many losses, but the lottery wheel will keep on turning—and any day one of us may just be fortunate enough to hit the jackpot.
