You Win Some, You Lose Some: Lottery Winners Who Lost Everything

Janite Lee Was a Little Too Charitable

Unlike many lottery winners, Janite Lee spent the majority of her $18 million winnings on others. The South Korean immigrant won the lotto in 1993 and immediately moved her family into a million-dollar gated community. She spent the next 10 years spending the $620,000 she received annually on philanthropic efforts. Lee’s contributions were so generous she found herself invited to dinners with the likes of Al Gore and Bill Clinton.

Unfortunately, her giving nature came to end when Lee was forced to file bankruptcy in 2001. At that time she had less than $700 to her name and was a whopping $2.5 million in debt.