Lottery A person won over $1 billion in the Mega Millions lottery but is now in trouble because his family says he lied about sharing the money with them.
The winner, called John Doe in court, got $1.35 billion but took home about $500 million after taxes.
He then sued his daughter’s mom, called Sara Smith in court, because she told his family about his win even though she promised to keep it a secret. New papers in court, first reported by The Daily Beast, have made things more complicated.
The lottery winner’s dad, who used to be a police chief and is now in his 70s, wrote that his son misled him about the lottery win. The winner got $1.35 billion but took home about $500 million after taxes, buying the ticket from Hometown Gas & Grill in Lebanon, Maine.
In the latest court papers, Smith, the mother of the winner’s daughter, says that Doe (the winner) told his dad and stepmom about the win, which her lawyers say ruins Doe’s case against her.
On May 10, Doe’s lawyers filed a motion against Smith, saying she tried to reveal his identity and made false claims about him, including that he tried to ‘kidnap’ their daughter, which he denies.
Smith fought back with a statement from Doe’s dad, who scolded his son for not keeping his promises after the win.
Doe admitted he told his dad about winning the lottery but didn’t have him sign a promise to keep it a secret. He said their relationship got worse after that, and he didn’t share any plans about the money.
His dad said his son had lied about many things since winning. He said in February or March 2023, his son told him and his wife about the win and promised to build a garage, buy cars to fix up, buy their old house, set up a $1 million trust fund, and provide 24-hour care if needed.
The father said his son insisted they not talk to Smith, the mother of their grandchild, but they had a good relationship with her and didn’t want to turn their back on her.
After telling his son he didn’t like his behavior, the father said his son got angry and called him names. They haven’t talked since, and the son hasn’t kept his promises.
Smith claims Doe has a security team watching her and listening to her calls, which sometimes get strange noises or hang up.
Smith also says Doe ‘kidnapped’ their daughter and took her out of state for weeks, but Doe says he has joint custody and had permission to take her on vacation. He says Smith accused him of kidnapping because he wouldn’t pay for her and her boyfriend to go to Disney World.
Smith’s lawyers say Doe sued her because he didn’t want his family to know he won the lottery and to punish her for rejecting him. They also say he’s using his money to overwhelm her with legal battles.
Doe won the $1.35 billion jackpot, which had odds of 1 in 302.6 million, making it the second-largest Mega Millions win ever and the fourth-largest in U.S. history. Mega Millions is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.