Already the winners are fighting over Friday night’s Mega Millions jackpot, the largest in U.S. history. A woman who claims to be one of the three winners is locked in an argument with co-workers at a McDonald’s restaurant who insist her purchase of a lottery ticket at a Baltimore County 7-Eleven was on behalf of the group. If all of these claims prove true, well, can you spell l-a-w-s-u-i-t?
Meanwhile, other Americans who collectively invested a staggering amount — almost $1.5 billion — on Mega Millions are wondering where it all went wrong for them. (The answer might have something to do with math, like that 1-in-176 million chance of winning.) For them, Monday was tougher than usual, trying to move on with their lives from dashed dreams back to reality.
And to them, we offer this heartfelt “Get well, soon!” editorial. Yes, your money vaporized as soon as you spent it. We fully understand your explanation that you did it “for fun” or “for the thrill.” We also acknowledge that the lottery is a legal endeavor, and people have every right to chase the rainbow. But, honestly, your cash, plus a few drops of lighter fluid and a nearby spark could’ve produced the same result, without building false hopes. Just admit it, next to buying a lottery ticket, spinning the ol’ wheel of fortune looks like buying Apple stock.
Now that the fun is gone and the thrill has evaporated, you might find consolation in learning about what you avoided. There’s a long history of lottery winners who have experienced nothing but heartache, pain, misery and — believe it or not — financial calamities after claiming their jackpots.
