Ever have more money than you knew what to do with? Probably not. But these 10 lottery winners did. With all that money burning a hole in their pocket, they just had to spend it on these bizarre and crazy purchases!
10. Bought Land on the Moon, Mars, and Venus
David Copeland, 41, won $1.28 million in 2000. He decided to take some of his winnings and invest them in land. The crazy part was – that land was on the moon, Venus, and Mars. He didn’t spend too much, only about $154 per acre on each celestial body. Unlike other lottery winners, David still lives frugally. He invested his winnings.
9. $32,000 to Record an Album
Roger Griffiths won $3.2 million in the lottery. It changed the life he spent with his wife and two daughters. He bought himself a Porsche Carrera and his wife a Lexus 4×4. They quit their jobs. He decided to get his college band back together and invest $32,000 in making an album. It failed. They divorced. They lost all the money.
8. $250,000 for a Racehorse
In 2005, Keith Gough, 58, and his wife won $11.5 million. He invested his winnings in fast cars and an executive box at Aston Villa. But the investment that led to his demise was spending $250,000 on a racehorse. Two years later he left his wife. He died an alcoholic, penniless, from a suspected heart attack.
7. $608,000 for a Fireworks Factory
As a child, Debbie Mather loved watching fireworks fill up the sky. After she won $6 million in the lottery in 2005, she decided to relive her childhood by purchasing her own fireworks factory. Everyone needs a job, right? The investment cost her $608,000. Technically, that was only about 10 percent of her winnings.
6. $825,000 for Marijuana Legalization
Bob Erb was known to be a generous person. A cause that was dear to his heart was the legalization of marijuana in Canada. In 2012, he won $25 million. He took $825,000 of his winnings, about 3 percent, and donated them toward legalizing marijuana and reforming laws related to cannabis.
5. $3.2 Million for a Soccer Team
EuroMillions lottery winner Colin Weir, 71, won $206 million in 2011. He was a lifelong fan of the Scottish Championship Partick Thistle Football Club. He invested $3.2 million in the Glasgow club in 2019. He announced that in 2020, he would turn over 55% of his shareholding to a fan group that was in development.
4. $5 Million for a Whiskey Business
Peter Lavery won $17.7 million in the lottery. He decided to invest $5 million into starting his own whiskey business. In 2018, he partnered with an investment company, and launched Titanic Irish Whiskey, a 10-year blend “built in Belfast.” The crazy gamble turned out to be a wise decision. The business nets an annual profit.
3. Lost $5 Million on Gambling
Against improbable odds, Evelyn Adams won the lottery two years in a row. Her 1985 and 1986 winnings totaled $5.4 million. Expecting her lucky streak to continue, Evelyn tried to leverage her fortune into a larger one by going to Atlantic City. Her luck didn’t last. She gambled all her money away. By 2016, she was broke.
2. Lost $12.4 Million on Escorts, Cars, Backyard Racetrack
At 19, Michael Carroll won 12.4 million in 2002. He bought a three-bedroom Lakeside mansion. He claims he paid for over 4,000 escorts over several years. He spent a fortune on drugs. He invested £1 million in the Rangers FC soccer club. A divorce cost him £1.4M. He blew money on cars and a backyard racetrack. By 2010, he’d lost everything.
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1. $86.5M on 3 Separate Mansions
Edwin Castro won the largest lottery in US and world history, a whopping $2.04 billion jackpot. He walked away with $1 billion after taxes. Among his purchases were a $47 million mansion in Los Angeles and another $25.5 million mansion in the Hollywood Hills. He reportedly bought another mansion worth $4 million.
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