Winning the lottery is a dream come true for almost all of us. However, when this army veteran won, it took him months to even see a penny of his $44 million lotto winnings.
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Jerry Heath, a U.S. Army veteran and retired detective, was a keen fan of the lottery. He played religiously, putting his lucky numbers down in the vain hope of taking home the prize. He could hardly believe his luck when he managed to hit the jackpot.
But, it took almost five months for him to see any of his $44 million lotto winnings. Because of how the system works, there was a whole load of processes the cash had to be put through before it went into his bank. Once the various taxes, cuts, and creams were taken from the top, he was left with a paltry $17 million.
The army veteran is happy with the amount. His twilight years can be spent as a millionaire.
Humble Plans For Veterans Lotto Winnings
It doesn't look like old Health is going to go crazy with his lotto winnings. He has spoken about what he wants to do with it. So far he has paid off his house and made a few improvements here and there. He has also invested a large chunk of it, slowly making even more millions. He is a very sensible man.
As an act of kindness, he has also gifted his family a significant amount. He plans to share the rest of his wealth with them, which the taxman will love. There is a lot of tax to be had on monetary gifts. I hope he gets himself a good financial advisor or he'll end up with even less.
Speaking to the New York Post he said, "I can't forget where I came from now that I'm a multimillionaire. I don't really travel; playing the lottery is my only luxury." He'll be able to buy a whole handful of tickets for the rest of his life with those lotto winnings.
Apparently, now he's won big on the lotto, he has his eyes set on a bigger prize. He will be playing the SuperLotto Plus, which is only available in the Golden State.
George Orwell aptly put it, "There were some millions of proles for whom the Lottery was the principal if not the only reason for remaining alive. It was their delight, their folly, their anodyne, their intellectual stimulant."
