Four Jackpot Lottery Stories That Ended in Lawsuits, Jealousies and Feuds (3 of 3)

The 20,000,000% Tip

Tonda Dickerson was a waitress at a Waffle House in Alabama. She poured coffee. She brought out plates of fried eggs and hashbrowns. She did all of these tasks with a smile. Or we’re assuming. So imagine her appreciation when she received a tip in the form of a lottery ticket. And not just a $5 scratch-off winner. The lady won the $10 million jackpot. That’s when the trouble started. Her coworkers sued her, claiming they had made an oral pact to split any winnings from lottery ticket tips. The judge determined no such agreement had ever been made. However, the situation remained unclear. The unlucky customer also sued, insisting they had agreed to split the winnings if she won. That case got thrown out as well. Finally, in a case that went on for years, the IRS went after her, demanding $1 million in gift taxes.

Our spicy hot take: earning an 18% cash tip is the key to a lawsuit-free life.