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Posted: 6/13/2021 10:40:00 AM EDT
A sad ending out of Michigan to a story that should've had a happier one. MLive.com reports that a body was found last Saturday floating in the Tittabawassee River, near Northwood University in Midland. Police have now IDed the body as 69-year-old Leroy Fick, an Auburn resident who won a $2 million jackpot 11 years ago on the Michigan Lottery's Make Me Rich! TV game show.
Authorities haven't disclosed the cause of death, but they say it doesn't appear Fick's death is suspicious. After his June 2010 win, Fick took home about $1 million after taxes, but what happened next now serves as a "cautionary tale" to other lottery winners, notes Play Michigan. ClickOnDetroit.com notes that Fick, who ended up on TLC's Lottery Changed My Life program, dumped about $200,000 into the construction of a new home, as well as $200,000 into annuities. More money was spent on investments, as well as such items as a new Chevy Camaro, swords, slot machines, and a "significant amount of fireworks," per MLive.com. Just two years after he'd won, Fick was broke. It emerged that he and another lottery winner had been collecting government assistance despite their wins, prompting state lawmakers to change the criteria on who can apply for food aid. Fick also struggled with legal troubles, with a 45-day jail stint in 2012 for a drug conviction, followed by another prison sentence later that year for convictions of larceny of a firearm and felon in possession of a firearm. "The whole thing just blew up in my face," Fick told the judge in the latter case at the time. "I thought people would love me if I helped them out some. I had the wrong idea, I guess. They all turned on me and that was it." The Midland Police Department is asking anyone with information on Fick's death to call 989-839-4719. https://www.newser.com/story/307292/he-hit-it-big-in-the-lottery-then-blew-it-all-now-a-tragic-end.html |
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Not at all uncommon.
I've long said that if I ever win (I don't play) that my goal is to end up dead in a gutter with a long string of hookers and blow in my wake. |
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Not unusual.
I imagine most lottery tickets are sold to people unaccustomed to building and maintaining wealth. When a person like that wins the jackpot, it's hard for them to change their habit of spending everything they have. Many have run through much bigger wins than that in a few years. |
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The most notable part of this article for me is that there is a river called "Tittabawassee".
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" spent on investments, as well as .... swords, slot machines, and a "significant amount of fireworks". View Quote I like the cut of that mans jib ! |
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My grandfather always said that it has no value unless you have earned it.
As a kid, I did not know what he meant. |
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No surprise. A lot people that won the lottery had gone thru the same thing. The curse of the lottery lives on.
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If you can't make your first million on your own, then you're not going to be able to handle it if it just falls in your lap.
This goes for any sum of money really. |
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Poor people are typically bad with money. Even if given to them.
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Quoted: The most notable part of this article for me is that there is a river called "Tittabawassee". View Quote Yep, I spent a lot of time fishing on that river and Sanford Lake when I was a kid. Last year after some heavy rains there were failures of the dams at Edenville and Sanford, now both Wixom and Sanford lakes are basically gone, along with a portion of Sanford. |
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I know of two Oregon lottery winners who are broke and they actually sold their annuity for fast cash. One because of meth and now he is back to welding.
The last of his lottery payment he got on a single payment he spent on a huge fence for his property and that is it. Another is in the same boat, blasted it on fast cars and fast ponies and is back to square one. |
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A million or two just isn't what it used to be. Depending on age and a few other factors it may not even be enough to instantly retire on. If you're really smart, and make smart choices then maybe but lord knows I could blow through it pretty damn quick if I wanted to.
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They all go broke try to help people. Rappers, athletes, lottery winners.
I would completely disappear. Find a small lot of land with low taxes and live a .nice quite life. Fucking waste of money. |
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A camaro, sword, slot machines and fireworks
Okay maybe I missed the point of the story. |
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The show "Curse of the Lottery" was eye opening. A lot of people are incredibly dumb with money.
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Chris Shaw seems to have disappeared -
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.marshallnews.com/story/1628909.html&ved=2ahUKEwjY29ir-JTxAhULHc0KHa9UDO0QFjAAegQIAxAC&usg=AOvVaw2npWyVrvWK8ZLPUXIKw5jb Someone that lives near Marshall Missouri probably has recent information about how he's doing. Looks like he has a place on the water in Lake Ozark. . |
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Quoted: ClickOnDetroit.com notes that Fick, who ended up on TLC's Lottery Changed My Life program, dumped about $200,000 into the construction of a new home, as well as $200,000 into annuities. More money was spent on investments, as well as such items as a new Chevy Camaro, swords, slot machines, and a "significant amount of fireworks," per MLive.com. Just two years after he'd won, Fick was broke. View Quote So he netted $1mm, and put 200k each into a house and annuities, and some unspecified amount into “investments.” That doesn’t sound too idiotic. Sounds like he started out trying to manage and use most of it wisely, and then fell off the wagon. |
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I wouldn't want to win a lottery, too many people showing up with their hands out.
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People think a million bucks makes you a big shot but it doesn't. It's got a financial impact roughly equivalent to working a lower middle class job.
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Quoted: I wouldn't want to win a lottery, too many people showing up with their hands out. View Quote Review and follow the advice here if you do |
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Quoted: I wouldn't want to win a lottery, too many people showing up with their hands out. View Quote Nobody knows unless you go out of your way to tell them. Vast majority of people aren't scanning the web for mere million dollar prize winners. Can you name any of the last 5 people to win a million bucks in your state? I know I can't. |
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Quoted: People think a million bucks makes you a big shot but it doesn't. It's got a financial impact roughly equivalent to working a lower middle class job. View Quote |
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500 million Powerball Interview answers buying hookers and cocaine |
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One million after taxes isn't shit.
I would need 5 million after tax to quit my job. With one million, I would just buy up some cheap rentals with half of it (down payments, not buy them outright). The other half would go in whatever is the safest vehicle to beat inflation. My 5 year goal would be able to get enough return to quit my job and live a little bit better than I do now. |
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Wouldn't be difficult to go through $1 million. Could enable one to pick up and move or to try things out prior to settling somewhere.
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Quoted: Yep, I spent a lot of time fishing on that river and Sanford Lake when I was a kid. Last year after some heavy rains there were failures of the dams at Edenville and Sanford, now both Wixom and Sanford lakes are basically gone, along with a portion of Sanford. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: The most notable part of this article for me is that there is a river called "Tittabawassee". Yep, I spent a lot of time fishing on that river and Sanford Lake when I was a kid. Last year after some heavy rains there were failures of the dams at Edenville and Sanford, now both Wixom and Sanford lakes are basically gone, along with a portion of Sanford. It's an old Indian name I believe. I grew up in that area. Did a lot of canoeing and fishing on it. Not great, not terrible. |
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Quoted: They all go broke try to help people. Rappers, athletes, lottery winners. I would completely disappear. Find a small lot of land with low taxes and live a .nice quite life. Fucking waste of money. View Quote Yup look at MC Hammer. Tried to help people he grew up with and broke him. Look at Allen Iverson only thing about him is because of a deal with Rebook he still makes almost $1mil a year from them and has a $32mil trust that he can't touch until he's in his 50's |
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