‘Winning £235m on Powerball Turned Me into a Lunatic – I Wish I’d Torn Up the Ticket’

Jack Whittaker, once a Powerball millionaire, now laments his life after winning $315 million (£235 million) in 2002, claiming it transformed him into a lunatic.

The Powerball lottery is set to launch in the UK this week, with a staggering jackpot exceeding £300 million. This marks the largest prize ever offered in the country, as Allwyn, the National Lottery operator, opens the game to UK players.

Whittaker's story serves as a cautionary tale about the dark side of sudden wealth. He wished he had destroyed the ticket that led to family tragedies, a bitter divorce, and a crippling gambling addiction.

On Christmas Eve 2002, Whittaker purchased his winning ticket at a supermarket in Hurricane, West Virginia. He was not a regular player but struck gold with the largest single winning ticket in US lottery history.

Despite already being worth $17 million (£12.7 million) from his construction business, the jackpot proved overwhelming. Whittaker opted for a lump sum payout of $113 million (£84 million) after taxes, rather than taking installments over time.

He invested $15 million in building two churches and established the Jack Whittaker Foundation to help others with financial burdens. However, many viewed him as an unlikable winner.

Bob Rufus, a divorce accountant, recalled witnessing Whittaker's volatile behavior during a confrontation with his wife’s divorce attorney. “Jack was ready to start throwing punches,” Rufus said.

Initially, Whittaker claimed the winnings wouldn’t change him. He told Fox News he was “doing God’s work” with his money and aimed to help many people. Yet, he quickly found himself at Pink Pony strip club, where he left $50,000 (£37,500) behind the bar.

The bar manager feared for Whittaker’s safety, saying he dreaded reading about him being robbed. Despite warnings, Whittaker returned to boast about having over a million in cash in his car outside.

Two individuals drugged him and stole money from his vehicle. They were prosecuted but avoided jail time; the cash was later found discarded. Remarkably, just five months later, another $200,000 (£150,000) was stolen from the same car outside the same club.

Whittaker became both celebrated and notorious after his win. He bought a Lamborghini and gained a reputation for throwing cash from his car window. When questioned about his reckless spending, he simply replied, “Because I can.”

Tragedy struck two years after his win when his granddaughter Brandi Bragg was found dead at 17. Whittaker had been giving her $2,000 (£1.5k) weekly and buying her cars. Rufus noted that this lavish support attracted negative influences into her life.

Whittaker faced legal issues as well; he bounced a $1.5 million (£1.2 million) check to settle gambling debts with Caesars Atlantic City casino. In 2008, after 42 years of marriage, Jewell Whittaker filed for divorce. The Supreme Court later ruled that she was entitled to part of his business assets.

In 2009, he lost his daughter Ginger Whittaker Bragg, Brandi’s mother. Reflecting on his lottery win, Whittaker expressed deep regret: “I pretty much lost everything I had and held dear in my life.”

He stated that money never meant anything to him and emphasized that it doesn’t bring happiness. His home burned down in 2016, adding to his misfortunes.

Whittaker admitted that both he and his wife wished they had torn up the winning ticket. He lamented his transformation into someone he no longer recognized.

His behavior included brazen propositions to barmaids for sex and an accusation of sexual assault that was settled before he claimed poverty in 2007. He once remarked to the Associated Press: “I’m only going to be remembered as the lunatic who won the lottery.”

Whittaker passed away from natural causes at the age of 72 in June 2020.