It might be time to put to rest the notion of the "lottery curse"—the idea that a massive payout ends up wrecking the lives of many winners. USA Today reporters Daniel de Vise, Nick Penzenstadler, and Veronica Bravo identified 31 people who hit Powerball for at least $50 million between 2012 and 2016, then checked back a decade later to see who'd crashed and who'd coasted. The oft-cited claim that a third—or even 70%—of lottery winners blow it all? The journalists found no solid evidence for those stats. Only two of the winners fit the classic "lottery curse" narrative of lawsuits, scandal, and regret. As for the rest? "Most lottery winners are doing just fine, thank you," reads the story.
They do, however, tend to face a different kind of "curse": a burst of unwanted fame, relentless requests for money, and steep learning curves around managing millions. After that storm passes, many settle into upgraded but relatively quiet lives, buying nicer homes, backing local causes, or quietly funding scholarships and theaters. Nine of the winners are publicly thriving, having started charitable foundations and such. The remaining multi-millionaires appear to be thriving in lower-key ways, and none have generated negative headlines. Million-dollar homes are common, "which suggests they haven't frittered away their fortunes just yet." For a deeper look at the particulars, read the full story.
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