[00:02] of course but not always in the ways you might think sometimes that money can launch a quick trip to rock botom so tonight as one lucky woman takes home a historically huge Powerball windfall ABC's David Wright finds out how to
[00:15] steer clear of costly mistakes there you mistakes there you go it's crazy that big check says $310,500 th000 not all of which will go to
[00:30] factory worker Julie leech she's taking the lump sum so after taxes she Pockets a mere 140 million are you leaving your a mere 140 million are you leaving your job oh I quit
[00:45] done who Among Us hasn't entertained that fantasy but as she and her boyfriend would tell you the first emotion is Joy but not far behind is a vague sense of panic you can't believe it just never thought it' ever happen
[00:58] really you when it does it you know yeah you hope you hope it happens then when it does you just it's yeah what do you do what do you do about that panic and
[01:10] the problems that potentially follow more in a moment but first in case you don't Know leech's full story let's give her some time to celebrate she bought her $20 in Quick Picks at this Michigan Shell station on her way to work the
[01:23] overnight shift about 1:00 a.m. at the McDonald's drive-thru on her lunch break she finally remembered to to check her ticket under the golden arches she struck it rich was having a really bad night at work thought well I might as
[01:37] well check my numbers while I'm sitting here waiting for my lunch and that's when I realized that I was the winner I didn't believe it for 23 years she worked at aquatic bathware a fiberglass Factory nasty dirty job her boyfriend
[01:53] Von Avery is a factory worker too I woke him up told him he got up I said we won he said what we won I said I won the lottery we won the lottery oh get out of here I said I wasn't disbelief but listen closely to
[02:09] those shifting pronouns we won I said I won the lottery we won the lottery oh get out of here could their 36-year relationship be about to face a
[02:21] test this is my significant other we have never been married but my two children are with him a point that came up awkwardly at the press conference hasn't by chance proposed in the last day or so I said he'd have to sign a
[02:37] prenup now for some lottery winners all that money can cause greed and jealousy worst case scenario DD Moore found guilty of swindling and then killing Abraham Shakespeare after he won a $17 Million
[02:53] jackpot she buried him in the backyard the lives of lottery winners is so fascinating they even made a reality show about it Lottery changed my life some of them hitting it big on the slot machines others teenage
[03:08] millionaires building the restaurant of their dreams it's going to be unlike any other restaurant in Steamboat studies show that 70% of lottery winners that's more than two out of three lose the bulk of it within a few years don't get
[03:22] of it within a few years don't get caught up in Lottery fever okay uh there are people out there they win lots of money and the first thing they do is they start going out and buying fancy cars and throwing big parties Richard
[03:34] lustig has won the grand prize seven times he advises any lottery winner to be careful so the first thing you want to do is hire yourself a good accountant
[03:47] a good financial planner and a good lawyer Julie leech and Von Avery plan to get themselves some good advice we're simple people we we don't know how to deal with money it's that kind of money anyway you know
[04:05] we get weekly paychecks that we pay our bills with winning the lottery does make you happy for a little while but one study found that after a few months your overall happiness reverts to what it was before you won Julie and vau both insist
[04:21] all that much we don't want it different want to enjoy it we're just going to enjoy it with a little bit more money enjoy it with a little bit more money money y we'll still be the same people
[04:33] one mistake many lottery winners make is giving all that money to family and friends anybody you've ever crossed paths with is going to call you and and look for a handout and even some people you've never met are going to call you
[04:46] and look for a handout so I think it really takes to pays to take a measured approach on this Julie leech is thinking ahead for her family I do I'm going to take care of my kids I don't want them to have to work like I had to work and
[04:58] deal with kind of things that I had to deal with over life already her 11 grandkids are well aware of the change in their circumstances Grandma's in their circumstances Grandma's Rich I've heard that one she sure is and
[05:14] here's hoping that she and her family beat the odds again and have a good time spending all that money I'm David Wright for Nightline in New York