6. Tonda Lynn Dickerson: Former Waffle House employee Tonda Lynn Dickerson was forced to pay nearly two million in taxes after she refused to split her earnings with her colleagues. Dickerson had placed her money in a corporation and granted her family 51 percent of the stock, which qualified her for the hefty tax.
7. Gerald Muswagon: In 1998, Gerald Muswagon won $10 million playing the Super 7 jackpot in Canada. All of the instant fame and attention got to his head, and he spent exorbitant amounts of cash on cars, homes, and parties. He also built a “party pad” where he hosted expensive events. He eventually ended up working on a farm until he took his own life in 2005.
8. Suzanne Mullins: In 1993, Suzanne Mullins won $4.2 million playing the lottery in Virginia. She split the payments three ways with her husband and daughter, which didn’t leave her much cash for herself. She quickly fell into debt and wasn’t able to pay any of it back.
9. Americo Lopes: Americo Lopes was a construction worker who won the lottery but didn’t tell any of his coworkers who had split the ticket with him. He quit his job, claiming he needed foot surgery. His coworkers eventually caught wind of his lie, and they sued him. The court ordered Lopes to split his winnings.
10. Ibi Roncaioli: In 1991, Ontario resident Ibi Roncaioli won five million, but she never told her husband, Joseph. He eventually discovered that she had given two million of her winnings to a secret child she had with another man. He poisoned her with painkillers, resulting in her death.
