Wonder What Happens to Lottery Winners? Watch TLC’s "The Lottery Changed My Life"

Do you ever wonder what happens to lottery winners after they win a big jackpot? Initially, these winners are part of a news conference to announce them as the big winners. They tell their story and explain what they intend to do with their new-found wealth. But then, they fade away from the limelight and most are never heard from again.

Yes, most lotto winners are never heard from again, but some are. Usually, we get updated on jackpot winners when something bad happens. That might include things like going broke, like what happened to Andrew Jackson Whittaker, who lost all his money following a $315 million Powerball win. Or it might include being arrested, like what happened to Callie Rogers, a £1.9 million winner who, subsequently, got busted for selling cocaine. Or it might include being murdered, like what happened to Abraham Shakespeare, a $31 million Florida Lotto winner, who’s remains were found buried in a cement grave.

From these types of stories, you might think that winning the lottery is a curse and that only bad things could come out of it. But you have to remember, the media doesn’t usually report things until something happens and that “something” is usually bad. Luckily, if you want to really know what happens to lottery winners, TLC has a TV show called “The Lottery Changed My Life” which showcases winners from around the world.

Many of the winners on TLC’s The Lottery Changed My Life TV show have gone on to do great things. For example, the show covered Brad Duke, a big $220 million Powerball winner that had invested his money and made it grow, or Cynthia Stafford, a $112 million Mega Millions winner that went on to donate a lot of money to the arts and even started her own successful production company.

The Lottery Changed My Life gives a better indication of what life is like for big lottery winners than the news ever could. If you’re interested in this topic, be sure to catch the show. Just look up the listings on TLC; it even airs re-runs for people that missed the original airing.