We all like to think we would be sensible if we won the lottery and – if I may speak for you – I think we would! But I read this little item from a newsletter and it just reminded me that sometimes some of us are not meant to experience certain things, and what can happen when something considered good goes very bad when it lands in the wrong hands. Who knows what changes would come with a sudden win of millions? Sure, we’d all probably like to find out but not everyone can handle it.
Here’s the story from the London Telegraph:
Keith Gough, 58, just died, destitute. “Keith always put a brave face on things but he was financially screwed,” an unnamed relative said. “A combination of carelessness, naivety and generosity left him skint and he was finding it hard to get back on his feet.” The Bridgnorth, Shrops, England, man won 9 million pounds (then US$17.1 million) in the lottery in 2005. He quit his job and spent the winnings lavishly, buying an executive box at a racetrack, betting on the horses, and throwing parties — lots of parties. He lost 700,000 pounds (US$1.3 million) to a con artist, and the rest went to a full-time gardener, a chauffeur, and “flash cars” (including a 60,000 pound BMW). But once it was all gone, the stress led to a fatal heart attack.