Lottery Luck
Marie Holmes was just a single mom trying to make life for her kids easy and fulfilling. What she didn’t know – she was in for a roller-coaster ride that would change her life forever.
Lottery Luck
Pastor Matthews
Being a single mom was not easy for Holmes, of course. She frequently attended services at her local church which were run by her pastor, Kevin Matthews. He was a source of strength for Marie and often helped her in times of distress. But she didn’t ever think that their strong bond could be broken.
Pastor Matthews
A Woman Of Action
As a religious woman, she believed that luck didn’t just arrive on your doorstep. She believed that a person needed to take action to get what they wanted. It was this belief that led her to buy a lottery ticket in February, 2015. But she had no idea that the lottery ticket she bought would change her life, for better and then for worse.
A Woman Of Action
Millions Upon Millions
The Powerball lottery that Marie Holmes had a ticket for, was running an incredible prize of $564 million. This surprisingly high amount of prize money would yield even more surprises after its numbers were broadcast nationwide.
Millions Upon Millions
From Rags To Riches
When the Powerball draw took place, she didn’t expect to see her numbers pop up on her TV screen. Marie was flabbergasted at the realization that she had just won $188 million! What once seemed to be the grim life of a single mother battling to make ends meet, suddenly turned into a life of almost infinite money! “I thought I was going to have a heart attack when I saw the ticket and checked it.”
From Rags To Riches
No Words
Things really got real when Marie went to the North Carolina Lottery Commission to receive her check. Standing in front of a small crowd and some family and friends, she held the check tightly and said, “I’m still processing it… it hasn’t hit me yet.”
No Words
Whatever They Want
When a reporter asked her what she wants to do with the money, she first answered, “Anything my kids ask me for, I can actually get it for them… and I don’t need to tell them.” “Are you going to tell them, though?” asked the reporter. Marie answered, “Yes!” And the crowd laughed.
Whatever They Want
Options For The Winner
Naturally the lottery commissions have the option for winners to remain anonymous. However with social media, it’s pretty much impossible to do so. Especially when you start buying things or lending money to friends or family – people start to notice changes in your lifestyle. It’s because of these reasons that most experts advise lottery winners to live life modestly and carry on with their lives as they did before winning so much money.
Options For The Winner
Decisions, Decisions
The lottery commission gave her 180 days to claim her winnings. Additionally she was granted two different options. Either she could receive the $188 million in installments over the course of 30 years, or she could receive $127 million right there and then. She decided on the second option and went to receive her prize.
Decisions, Decisions
So Much Money, So Little Time
Speculation about how she would spend her money started running wild. An uncle of hers said, “Marie is very grounded and she will know what to do with all that money.” Marie herself, promised that she wouldn’t let the money get to her head. Many believed that she would surely donate a large sum to her church, but no-one could have expected to see where her money went.
So Much Money, So Little Time
Put The Kids First
As most parents would hope, Marie put her kids first. She had suffered as a child when her father found himself in and out of prison on numerous occasions, and she swore that she would be different to her own kids. “They don’t have to worry about debt, none of that. They can go to college, all on me.” She swore to make her kids’ future her top priority.
Put The Kids First
Other Kids Too
Marie didn’t stop just at her kids. She ran a “back to school drive” that gave school supplies to hundreds of children. “I know it’s a lot of kids out here that don’t have, so to be able to give back to the community, that’s the best part and to see the smiles on the kid’s faces,” she said.
Other Kids Too
Led Down The Wrong Path
After taking care of all the children, she turned to her church – the institution that had cared for her through the rough patches. The mother of four decided that she would like to donate a generous sum to Kevin Matthews’ church. But little did she know that her charitable aims would change into a nightmare.
Led Down The Wrong Path
A Verbal Contract
When Marie spoke with Pastor Kevin Williams from the Pleasant Hill Missionary Baptist Church, she said that she wanted to give the church about 10% of her lottery winnings. The money would enable the church to purchase a large plot of land where they could build a retreat center. At least that is what she wanted the money to go towards.
A Verbal Contract
The Greatest Giver
It is a commendable act to give back to one’s community. Marie would have become the largest donor in American history had her plan worked out, but it is important to note that there have been other lottery-winner philanthropists. Although none quite on Marie’s level.
The Greatest Giver
No One Like Marie
Of course this wasn’t the first time a lottery winner chose to donate some earnings to church, although Marie’s planned donation was easily one of the highest amounts ever recorded in the United States. Previous lottery winners from Tennessee and Boston contributed large amounts to their local churches, the winner from Boston gave $100,000 to fund a Christmas dinner.
No One Like Marie
More Money, More Problems
In a single day, Marie Holmes’ life was turned around. From having to work multiple jobs at once just to cover her bills, she went to more money than she could count. It was always an unrealistic fantasy of hers to win so much money, but she never thought it would ever actually happen. But as the saying goes, “More money means more problems.”
More Money, More Problems
No Time To Waste
The verbal agreement that Marie had originally made with her pastor, was that she would donate $1.5 million to his church. After receiving $700,000 already from Marie, he didn’t want to wait a single moment longer and decided to sue Marie for the rest of the money and even more.
No Time To Waste
Shell-Shocked
Naturally, Marie was completely shocked when she found herself as the defendant in a lawsuit that demanded her to pay $10 million to her once-loved pastor. Never in a million years did she envision she’d be caught in such a terrible situation.
Shell Shocked
Why Did He Do It?
After Marie Holmes and her pastor Kevin Williams had discussed verbally the amounts she would donate, the pastor started to make many financial commitments that he thought he could fulfill with the money he would receive from Marie. But when the reality dawned on him, he panicked and realized that he had gone to the point of no return. He would not get the money he had expected and decided to sue her.
Why Did He Do It?
Another Party Involved
When he was asked why he was suing for so much money, the pastor explained, “Because of the emotional distress and mental stress they put me through, I had to start taking more medicine for anxiety and depression due to this situation. I didn’t see this coming and I think it was a third party that came along and told her not to do this.”
Another Party Involved
A Warrior In His Own Way
The pastor believed that his mission in life was to serve God and he didn’t want to fight. He said, “The bottom line is, I just want her to do what she said she was going to do. I want peace and to do what God told me to do. I really feel like a warrior for Christ and people need to be accountable.” Many people from their community did not like the pastor’s actions.
A Warrior In His Own Way
Losing Support
The community of Shallotte, North Carolina absolutely adored the pastor…until the drama of the lottery winnings became local news. Everyone started to see the Pastor in a different light, and no one was scared to voice their options via social media. Like the user below did.
Losing Support
More Trouble
Unfortunately for Marie Holmes, the trouble didn’t stop at the lawsuit. The father of her youngest daughter, Lamarr McDow, also known as “Hot Sauce”, was sitting in jail on charges of drug trafficking. She wanted to bail him out and so she did.
More Trouble
It Just Gets Worse
After she bailed him out, he was arrested again for not adhering to his trial conditions. And then, he was arrested a third time for street racing. Which meant that Marie had to dig deep in her pockets to bail him out…again.
It Just Gets Worse
The Law Says
According to the state’s law, when a convict breaks his trial conditions and is rearrested, his bail multiplies by a significant number. Marie had to pay a total of $21 million to get her boyfriend out of the slammer.
The Law Says
In It For The Money?
When Lamarr was interviewed concerning his role in Marie’s money spending, he defended both of them by saying, “We are a couple, and I am the father of her youngest child. This is what people do for each other. She has the money and she can do what she wants with it. If I had that money then I would do the same for her. People are just jealous because of how much she won and people want to see me locked in jail.”
In It For The Money?
Another Woman
Even though Marie and Lamarr seemed to make it clear that they were supportive of one-another, a mystery maiden came out of the shadows to add more into the mix. Lorna Marlowe claimed that she was one of LaMarr McDow’s girlfriends.
Another Woman
Gold Diggers
It was clear that Marie was in love with her boyfriend as she bought him pricey gifts like a brand new car and expensive jewelry. But she was completely blind-sided by the entrance of another woman on the scene.
Gold Diggers
Desperate Times
Holmes, feeling vulnerable, offered the woman who claimed to be McDow’s girlfriend, a sum of money so that she would leave them alone. Marie really had reached desperate times when it came to her man.
Desperate Times
Two Years
Lamarr was hounded with allegations that he was maintaining his relationship with Marie solely because of her lottery winnings. He responded to the rumors by saying, “We were together for two years before she won the Powerball”. Furthermore he added that he has been supporting her for a long time, back when she was still living in a mobile home, with her mom and four children no less.
Two Years
Bitter Sweet Emotions
Now Lamarr is facing some serious jail time, which is causing many emotions for Marie especially since her own dad was in prison. She said to Lamarr, ”You’re not going to be here with me and the kids..I don’t want to do it without you, but I will do it.” Maybe now Marie will find some peace in her life.
Bittersweet Emotions
Too Much To Handle
Even though most people would imagine the life a lottery winner as glamorous and grand, Marie was quickly learning that it could be far from that. Despite always putting her kids first, her financial recklessness was taking a toll not only on her wallet, but on her emotions as well. That is why she reached out to Iyanla…
Too Much To Handle
Fix My Life
Iyanla of the TV show, Iyanla: Fix My Life, interviewed Marie to get a better insight into what her journey had been like. The interview revealed many facts that were not known to the public, and shed light on a different Marie that not everyone knew.
Fix My Life
The Plantation
Iyanla asked Marie about the new house she had bought, and why she specifically chose it. Marie started by telling her that she bought it to provide her kids with a backyard. Since the house used to be a plantation which housed slaves, Iyanla told Marie that she strongly believed that negative energy still dwelt there and that it was adding negative dimensions to her personal life.
The Plantation
Money Is Not The Answer
Even though Marie really just wanted to help everyone out, she was the one who suffered in the end. “A lot of this doesn’t have anything to do with money. It has to do with broken people, with broken hearts with broken minds… that leads to choices and decisions and consequences. Money, never solves a money problem,” Iyanla told her.
Money Is Not The Answer
Living Situation
As we already mentioned, many people in Marie’s life believed that she would spend her money wisely. That she would remain grounded. However as we’ve learned, she did the exact opposite. Reaching out Iyanla was a big step for Marie Holmes, one that she gets to think about as she lives in her big, expensive house.
Living Situation
It Was No Accident
Iyanla further revealed a truth that no-one knew of. Marie’s mother, Fontella, was actually the one who bought the lottery ticket. Marie had given her $15 on the way to church to pick it up. But there was more to her mother just picking up the ticket, the numbers held something special in them too.
It Was No Accident
Important Numbers
Fontella didn’t just pick her numbers at random, rather she had thought them out very thoroughly. “I kept dreaming about your brother that we lost. His birthday, he was the third child, he’d have been 25 that year. Those were the numbers.”
Important Numbers
Listen Up!
Most folks don’t know the power of a signature – wait, let us explain. When you buy a lottery ticket, it’s important that you sign it! Yes, sign it even if you believe you won’t win. Your signature shows that you are the legitimate ticket owner! Just in case anyone challenges you on this matter. Afterwards, make sure to leave it in a safe place – this will help make sure it doesn’t get taken by anyone, whether friend or foe.
Listen Up
Who Is The Winner?
When Marie then understood that it was in fact her mother’s winning ticket, she felt bad and realized that her mother should have gained the money. But her mother would not have had it any other way. Fontella said that she was happy to know that her daughter was the multi-million winner.
Who Is The Winner?
A United Family
Her mother explained to her that she intentionally got the ticket for her. Fontella hoped to help her daughter so that she could eventually start the life she had always dreamed of. Marie always spoke of building a family that was close and united.
A United Family
Getting Married
Lamarr and Marie had been together for two years before she won the lottery and they had always planned to tie the knot. Lamarr was sent to prison again, so Marie is waiting for him to be released so that they can eventually get married.
Getting Married
Expert Talk
There are a few experts who have revealed that earning this lump sum of money makes it very difficult for the winner to even enjoy their life: “Eventually, the thrill of winning the lottery will itself wear off. If all things are judged by the extent to which they depart from a baseline of past experience, gradually even the most positive events will cease to have impact as they themselves are absorbed into the new baseline against which further events are judged. Thus, as lottery winners become accustomed to the additional pleasures made possible by their new wealth, these pleasures should be experienced as less intense and should no longer contribute very much to their general level of happiness.”
Expert Talk
Psych 101
Numerous psychologists have begun studying the effects of winning the lottery, specifically when it comes to mental health. A few studies have revealed that most people purchase lottery tickets because they believe and understand that their chances of actually winning a significant amount is virtually zero. However our mind does play tricks, leading us to always believe, even if it’s just a sliver, that a win could happen.
Psych 101
No More Money
Many studies that have been conducted over the last few years show that almost a third of all lottery winners will eventually declare bankruptcy. Yup, just let that settle in your mind. The reason why actually makes sense too, sadly. Most lottery winners suffered terrible financial woes so by the time they won big, it was too much to fully comprehend. Often the winners find themselves estranged from people they were once closest to!
No More Money
Living Life
Iyanla has also said, “So many people believe that if they had a certain amount of money, they’d be able to live a certain way.” Which is why when you think about what the experts and psychologists say, it all starts to fit together like the pieces of a puzzle.
Living Life
True, True
Furthermore Iyanla said, “Marie is a prime example that if you don’t know who you are, if you don’t have a strong sense of identity and well-being, all the money in the world is not going to fix how you see yourself and how you live.” Yikes, that sounds like tough love, but we totally get her point.
True True
Keep Moving Forward
Marie Holmes is coming to terms with her reality and continues to find comfort in her relationship with God. Although she has had many ups and downs, she made a very smart decision by investing almost $10 million to create the Marie Holmes Foundation which focuses on charity work. We have no doubt that everything that happens in our lives, happens for a reason. Marie Holmes is still determined to forward her children’s interests as her top priority.
Keep Moving Forward
Not All Bad
Even though a great number of lottery winners become bankrupt after winning, not all have such bad luck. A collection of winners have used the unnatural turn of events in their favor, and some have even had their belief in good luck strengthened greatly. Frane Selak is a prime example.
Not All Bad
Luckiest Unlucky Man
Frane Selak is an 88-year-old Croatian music teacher who has been dubbed the “world’s luckiest man”. He has cheated death on seven different occasions and then went on to win the Croatian lottery.
Luckiest Unlucky Man
First Take
In January 1962, Frane Selak was traveling on a train through a rainy canyon when it flipped and flew off the tracks, landing in a river. Miraculously, Selak was pulled to safety and he suffered from a broken arm and severe hypothermia. 17 Other passengers lost their lives that day.
First Take
Second Take
Only a year after his near-death train incident, Frane took part in his first airplane flight, which would also turn out to become his last flight too. A malfunctioning plane door was blown out which caused the plane to crash to the ground killing 19 people. Amazingly, Frane survived.
Second Take
Third Take
Things seemed calm for a while for the simple Croatian, until 1966. He was riding on a bus that skidded off the road out of control, and crashed into a river. Four passengers drowned whereas Selak managed to swim to safety and only suffered a few bruises and cuts.
Third Take
Fourth Take
Even though his life had been threatened a number of times before, Frane Selak could not have expected what happened next. In 1970 he was driving his car when suddenly the car caught on fire. He quickly escaped the burning vehicle and made it out alive.
Fourth Take
Fifth Take
Maybe using vehicles of transport was not a good idea for the teacher. In 1973, once again his car ignited itself in flames after a faulty fuel pump sent flammable oil through the air vents which caused flames to engulf the car. Selak suffered burns to his hair, but other than that, he made it out unscathed.
Fifth Take
Sixth Take
Whilst walking in the Croatian capital of Zagreb in 1995, Selak was struck by a bus. Incredibly, he was not hurt and survived.
Sixth Take
Seventh Take
His last close encounter with death came in 1996. While driving on a curvy mountain road, he swerved out of the way of an incoming United Nations truck to prevent a head-on collision. He shot through a guard-rail and was ejected from his car. Miraculously, he managed to grab onto a tree while his car plummeted down into a gorge about 300 ft below.
Seventh Take
Final Take
In 2003, Selak’s life of luck was confirmed when he won the national lottery. He won the equivalent of $1,100,000 and used some of the money to buy a boat and a house. His huge win came only a few days after his 73rd birthday.
Final Take
Giving Away
After he felt that he had used what he needed and wanted from his winnings, he decided to give the rest of the money away to friends and family. It was his decision to go back to a normal and frugal life.
Giving Away
Winners’ Advice
Many people have been lucky enough to win the lottery, and many have been unfortunate enough to lose it all. Some winners have shared their advice for holding onto the money a winner takes, as well as the normal life they seek to maintain.
Winners Advice
Victoria Ragone
East Northport resident, Victoria Ragone won $9 million in the lottery in 2001. Although she was tempted to drive straight to the New York lottery office, she made a call to her financial advisor. “I spoke to my financial adviser before I did anything, before I even claimed my ticket,” she said. “Then we decided what to do with the money.”
Victoria Ragone
Annette Baranovich
West Babylon’s, Annette Baranovich, won $25 million along with 12 others in 1999. She said that’s important to watch the money and not to quit your job because of the money. “It goes by quick,” she said. “I’d just be careful with how you spend it.”
Annette Baranovich
David Gehle
David Gehle won a whopping a $365 million Powerball jackpot in 2006 along with six other co-workers. Although he traveled with some of the money, his primary move was to invest the money. He did use the win as an opportunity to leave his job and take time to work on his hobbies.
David Gehle
Isabel Zelaya
Isabel Zelaya hit the Mega Millions jackpot funnily enough on Friday the 13th. The factory worker won $26 million and gave advice that is a little bit different from the rest. “If you never play, you never get a chance to win,” she said. “And you never know when you’re going to win.”
Isabel Zelaya
Expert Advice
Experts advise that when a person wins a large sum of money, especially a national lottery, they should first hire a lawyer and then a financial advisor to help them deal with the new challenges. Even though it is usually a person’s first reaction to share the news with relatives, experts strongly advise against it.
Expert Advice
