Man Who Won Powerball After Divorce Gets Taught Costly Lesson

Dreaming Big

Everyone has dreamed about winning the lottery’s colossal reward at some point in their lives. For others, it’s a method to put an end to their financial troubles; for others, it’s a way to assist their family and friends; and for yet others, it’s simply a way to live a luxurious life and end up bankrupt soon after.

On the other hand, some don’t even catch a scent of the price. More money brings more issues, whether in the shape of beggars, taxation, or lingering obligations. That is exactly what occurred to the main character in this narrative.

Troubled Upbringing

Lamar Walker’s life had been anything but easy. As a little boy, he was born into a poor family and raised in the slums of Statesville, North Carolina. As a young boy, he had to find ways to pay bills and had even spent time in jail

If anyone had told him back then that he would someday win the lottery, he probably wouldn’t have believed them. His life was a hustle and it didn’t feel like the struggle would ever end.

Things Were Looking Up

However, something amazing happened to Lamar at the age of 34. He had endured so many struggles, disappointments, and struggles by that time.

He had no idea that his luck was about to alter for a brief moment. On the other hand, his mother used to say, “The same thing that makes you smile will make you cry.” And Lamar was about to face the reality of that.

Unexpected Email

One, typical morning, Lamar got out of bed and got dressed before getting into his car. He then stopped at the nearest gas station.

He had never gambled before, but on this day, it felt like he was moved by some force of destiny. He decided to buy one single lottery ticket. He forgot about it as time passed, until a few weeks later when he received an unexpected email.

Winner!

He initially thought it was a hoax, as he could not remember playing the lotto. But he soon remembered the ticket he bought on a whim a few weeks prior.

The email stated that he had won $1,000,000, and he was stunned. He could not move for a few minutes, and he could not believe his luck.

Light At The End Of The Tunnel

He couldn’t believe it! He was finally seeing light at the end of the tunnel! He had struggled for so many years. All of his financial worries and debts were finally over.

But sadly, when something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Lamar didn’t know it yet, but his problems were far from over.

Still, A Long Way To Go

At the very least, he was ecstatic for several weeks, thinking about all the possibilities.

However, he still had a lengthy procedure ahead of him, which would determine whether he was permitted to spend the reward as he desired.

Making The Decision

He had a decision to make. He had to decide if he wanted the prize in a lump sum of $800,000 after taxes, or if get wanted the millions paid out to him over a period of 30 years.

He chose the first option. He wanted the fortune in his hands and his hands only. He had already made plans on how he was going to enjoy his money. But someone from his past, along with the courts of justice, had other plans.

Regular Disagreements

One horrific part of Lamar’s past was his long and difficult separation from his wife. His ex-wife, Elisha, shared four children with Lamar.

Lamar and Elisha had gotten a divorce two years prior, but they were still dealing with regular disagreements.

More To The Story

Lamar’s tough financial situation meant that he was unable to pay any alimony or child support. But when Elisha learned of his fortune, she filed a suit to get what she was entitled to.

You might think it was only fair for him to pay what he owed his ex-wife and children, but there’s more to the story.

Their Fights Were Too Much

As said, Lamar and Elisha’s separation had been long and difficult. And it seems that on occasion, their disagreements and arguments were just too complex to be solved through dialogue.

Elisha had accused Lamar of trashing some goods at her property during one of their fights while they were going through the divorce process. Was she telling the truth?

Lamar Had Filmed Everything

Apparently, she was. Lamar was found guilty of crashing a car registered to Elisha during a heated argument and throwing some of her jewelry into the Bogue Sound lagoon.

It wasn’t very difficult to prove these deliberate actions against Elisha’s property: Lamar had filmed himself while committing them and uploaded the videos to social media.

The Verdict

So it wasn’t difficult for the courts to find him guilty of these offenses, and he was ordered to pay for these items. In addition to paying the missed alimony and child support, Lamar now owed Elisha an amount of $770,000.

Doing the math, this left Lamar with only $30,000. Of course, this was much less than he initially expected.

He Protested Against The Sentence

Lamar, of course, wasn’t happy with the court’s decision. He launched a campaign on social media to protest against what he regarded as an unfair resolution.

However, he soon saw that it was best to accept what the judge said and pay his wife and children what they deserved, even if it cost him almost all of his prize.

It Wasn’t That Bad

By this point, Lamar had decided to just settle for his losses and be grateful to come out a little ahead. Given his life struggles, Lamar realized that having 000 leftover wasn’t the worst situation to be in.

It wasn’t easy not to be bitter about how things turned out, but Lamar comforted himself with the knowledge that Elisha and his kids were now well taken care of. However, this left him with questions about his own future.

Where To From Here

Lamar was happy that his kids were better off now. He knew what it felt like to struggle and never wanted the same life for them. Unfortunately, while they were taken care of, Lamar still had to figure out his own future.

The cost of living wasn’t getting any lower, and the leftover money wouldn’t last forever. Lamar knew he needed a long-term plan.

People Were Still Hounding Him

Once news of Lamar’s lottery win began to travel, he realized how fickle people could be. During his worst struggles with trying to stay afloat, Lamar never remembered others being there for him.

He was starting to see why so many people chose to accept lottery winnings anonymously. Lamar was starting to lose his patience with other people. A call he received one afternoon was the last straw.

Following The Money

Lamar couldn’t recall his extended family and friends calling him as much in the past. “I never used to get calls from friends and family. People tend to ghost you when things aren’t going well.”

Now his phone never seemed to stop ringing. When he received a call from his cousin Mike, Lamar was furious.

He Lost His Cool

Lamar couldn’t help but feel like Elisha had benefitted the most from his good fortune. Cousin Mike, like so many others, called Lamar. “I hadn’t heard from him in years, and suddenly he’s calling me and being like, hey, we should get together soon.”

Suddenly everyone wanted to meet up or visit. Lamar was wise to people’s act now as he explained, “I lost it man and basically told my own cousin to get lost.”

The Money Had Changed Him

Lamar regretted his past. His old behavior with Elisha had come back to bite him in the worst way. Lamar had been working on turning over a new leaf for a while now. He had made many past mistakes that he never wanted to repeat.

He knew now that getting mad never solved anything but Cousin Mike’s call was a step too far. Lamar felt like the lottery money had changed him, and it wasn’t for the better.

He Needed A New Start

The actions of all his friends and family, who kept trying to get money out of him after winning the lottery, angered Lamar. He changed his number to avoid any more conflicts and began keeping to himself. At 34, Lamar knew he wasn’t getting any younger.

He needed to act fast to secure his future. Aware of just how many scammers there were out there, Lamar also knew he had to tread carefully with the last of his money.

A Difficult Road

Lamar began searching for safe investments he could make or ways to grow his money and find a sustainable way forward. Lamar’s childhood lacked opportunities, and he never had a college education. This left him with only menial jobs whenever he could actually find work.

Most months, he barely scraped by. Having a golden chance to secure himself financially, Lamar now faced new difficulties.

A Fish Out Of Water

Having never been in a position to explore opportunities to invest, Lamar hadn’t anticipated how complex this world had become. Solutions like cryptocurrency and forex trading were thrown at Lamar, and he sometimes felt a little out of his depth.

Lamar did not know how these things worked and was afraid of being taken advantage of. He needed to find someone that could help, but he wasn’t sure if there was anyone left that he could fully trust anymore.

A Familiar Place

The longer Lamar sat with the money in his account, the more afraid and paranoid of wasting it he became. One day, as he walked through his childhood neighborhood, he suddenly spotted a familiar building.

Lamar immediately knew that there he could get help here. He finally remembered that there was still one person he could trust.

An Old Friend

Despite Lamar’s rough upbringing, Lamar remembered that there was one place his mother could always count on when things got desperate.

As he entered the building, he immediately found the person he was looking for. Time had aged him, but he still had the same kind face. Lamar wondered if he would even remember him.

He Was Home

The place in question was an old church that Lamar’s mom used to take him to as a child. It was still run by Pastor David Holmes. Lamar was shocked when Pastor David immediately recognized him.

It had been many years since Lamar had seen him. However, when Lamar began speaking to him, it felt like not a single day had passed. Lamar was welcomed with open arms, and a strange feeling began to take over.

A New Start

That feeling was a sense of being home again. Lamar had been struggling on his own for so long; he had forgotten how much comfort the church had provided his family in the past.

As he explained his current predicament, Pastor David promised to help. By the end, the Pastor said he knew exactly who to put Lamar in touch with. It seemed that things were finally looking up.

The Promise

Keeping his promise, Pastor David later introduced Lamar to Mr. Morrison, who was a senior member of the church. Mr. Morrison worked in finance and used all his experience to help guide Lamar.

After helping to set up a portfolio for him, Lamar now had a small savings account that could slowly grow his money. Lamar could not believe how well it all turned out.

A New Leaf

After trying for so long to turn over a new leaf and finally end the struggles, Lamar had finally found his new path. There was enough interest earned from his savings to give Lamar a small second income.

The rest of the money was used for long-term investments that could later grow into a retirement fund. There was just one last thing Lamar wanted to do.

Gratitude

Lamar was financially secure for the first time in his life. He began paying alimony monthly, and his relationship with Elisha and the kids improved. Lamar also began counseling church youth members so others could benefit from his life experiences.

Lamar donated the last $1000 of his winnings to the church. He no longer needed it. The lessons he had learned from the saga became more valuable to him than the money ever was.