One thing a $100 million Powerball win could buy you that's better than holidays, homes, and cars
Like drinking wine or watching TV, gambling on the lottery is probably a waste of time and money. But an important thing tickets buy most of us is a chance to dream about how a win could change your life.
There is $100 million up for grabs in this evening's Powerball draw. The haul the winner will take home is so enormous you could retire, buy a couple of houses, a yacht, take a holiday, and still have plenty to spare.
So at the risk of sounding preachy, tonight's draw is probably a good opportunity to think about one important thing — helping others. With $100 million, you could probably buy a parcel of land to prevent the extinction of an entire species, send aid overseas and save human lives, house hundreds of homeless in Australia, or set up a trust to provide long-term support to your charity of choice.
There is often little information available about what happens to lottery winners, as they're generally encouraged to stay anonymous in Australia.
Related: $100 million Powerball winner reveals how her life has changed
A 2024 report created by The Lott, found that 5 per cent of Australian winners didn't tell anyone about their win. Roughly 40 per cent told their immediate family, and 34 per cent told only their partner.
Around 40 per cent said they'd helped family and friends, but only 13 per cent said they'd given to charity. Over 50 per cent said they'd invest money in their future, 35 per cent said they'd bought a new car, and seven per cent paid off the mortgages of friends or family.
A Sydney mum who won $107 million in 2019 continued working as a nurse. And while she spent money on holidays and nice wine, she also became focused on creating 'a legacy' and supporting charities in ways she couldn't before.
'Paying it forward is really important to us because if you change one person's life, you have the potential to change the whole community,' the anonymous woman said in a 2021 interview with The Lottery Corporation. 'We have already made some really important donations, and we're always thinking a lot about what we want to support next.'
When the wins have been smaller, there's been more of a focus on directly helping relatives or friends. A woman from Sydney's western suburbs won over $620,000 in Lotto last Saturday and committed to buying her granddaughter a new car.
In April this year, a Melbourne man who won $1.2 million said he'd give $1,000 to friends who needed help, and $100,00 to his daughter. In Victoria, back in 2021, a Whittlesea man committed to donating much of his $670,000 TattsLotto prize to charity. And a Kew grandfather said he'd donate to the Children's Hospital after winning over $830,000.
While these are all happy stories, over in the United States where winners often don't have the option to stay anonymous, things don't always work out well.
😳 Lottery worker reveals one thing winner won't believe
🌏 Incredible 'life-changing' $70 million lottery call
😴 Dad claims $60m Powerball jackpot after 'vivid' dream about winning
Florida man Abraham Shakespeare won the US $30 million ($46 million) state lottery jackpot in 2006. The labourer famously gave away much of his fortune after being hit up by friends and family in need of cash. 'I'd have been better off broke," he reportedly said.
When he disappeared in 2009, family and friends hoped he'd fled overseas. But instead, sadly he was found dead, and his financial advisor was later convicted of murdering him.
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