Lottery Winner Says Telling Anyone Was the 'Worst Mistake'

Lottery Winner Says Telling Anyone Was the 'Worst Mistake' After 10 People a Day Beg For Money —'Even Had A Therapist Try To Rip Me Off'

Jeannine Mancini   Benzinga  Sun, February 8, 2026

People fantasize about hitting the jackpot — quitting their jobs, ghosting the alarm clock, buying that dream mansion, and never setting foot in a breakroom again. But for one Reddit user, the most life-changing moment of all came with a hard crash of reality.

"The worst mistake I ever made was telling people that I had won the lottery."

That's how their confessional post began on Reddit's confessions forum. Not "I blew it all." Not "I trusted a scam." Just: I told people. That was the mistake.

Seven years after their win, the original poster said they now bring in just under $800,000 a year through annuity payments and investment profits. At first, they expected support, congratulations, maybe a few celebratory drinks. What they got instead? Constant requests — and not just from the people they were close to

A Win Worth $800K a Year — and 10 Daily Requests

"I thought they'd be happy for me," the poster wrote. "They were happy for me for a minute and then they started to ask me for money."

Friends. Family. Coworkers. Even the sister of a coworker reached out, asking for rent help. The calls didn't slow down. "I was literally getting 10 calls a day," they added. One friend asked for $20,000 to buy an engagement ring for a girlfriend who, the poster later found out, was still seeing other people. The generosity didn't seem to buy goodwill — only more expectations.

"I still helped some people," they said, "but I had to cut them off because they were asking me for money only to give it to others or using the money for something different." Eventually, they said, they were spending more on other people than themselves. "People want me to finance their best lives and have the arrangement be exclusively on their terms," they added. "I will never understand why people can't accept one thing without trying to get more."

The Therapist Drove a Porsche. The Winner Drove a Prius.

Just when they thought things couldn't get more absurd, therapy took a turn. "I even had a therapist try to rip me off by asking me for a cash tip after our sessions," the winner wrote.

Then came the detail that sealed it: "He said my insurance company wasn't paying him enough yet he drove a Porsche and I drive the Prius."

That moment wasn't an outlier. It became a symbol of how even professionals — people paid to be objective — shifted their behavior once they sensed the money. "It's ironic that I have more money than I need," the post continued, "yet I can't give it away because it brings nothing but problems."

To Continue and Read More:  https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/articles/lottery-winner-says-telling-anyone-173148077.html