Four Jackpot Lottery Stories That Ended in Lawsuits, Jealousies and Feuds

Winning the lottery sounds like the ultimate fantasy. Who wouldn’t dream about instant wealth, total freedom, and never worrying about money again? One lucky ticket and suddenly every bill, problem, or bad day feels solvable. You imagine vacations, gifts for loved ones, and yes—maybe an absurd amount of cheap whiskey just because you can. But for some winners, or would-be winners, that dream quickly turns sour. Instead of champagne and celebrations, they find themselves buried in legal disputes, family feuds, and courtroom drama. Disputed tickets, shady agreements, ex-partners, and even lottery officials can all turn a life-changing moment into a prolonged nightmare. In some cases, the fight over the money lasts longer than the joy of winning ever did. These stories serve as a reminder that sudden wealth doesn’t always bring happiness—and that sometimes the real jackpot comes with strings attached. Here are four cases where lottery dreams spiraled into legal chaos.

The Case of the Blown Cover

In January 2023, an anonymous man from Maine achieved something most of us will only be able to fantasize about: he won a $1.35 billion Mega Millions jackpot. He created an LLC so that he wouldn’t have to disclose his identity, chose the lump sum (around $500 million after the tax man took the rest), and would have lived happily ever after if not for some baby mama drama. He’s suing the mother of his daughter, claiming she told his family about his winnings when she had allegedly signed a non-disclosure to keep it all a secret until 2032, when their little one is set to turn 18. He’s asking for $100,000 for each individual she shared the information with. Meanwhile, his dad is taking his ex’s side, insisting that not only did his son tell him that he had won, but he even offered to pay for his medical bills and buy him a bunch of other things. Turns out, winning half a billion dollars isn’t much fun at all!