92‑year-old Aussie man's lottery win sends him to court with his own daughter
The adage, "money doesn't bring happiness" is often cited. Skeptics argue that this is usually stated by those who no longer have to worry about financial constraints. While there is some truth to it, the story of this Australian gentleman provides further proof that a larger bank account doesn't necessarily equate to problem-solving. In fact, it can sometimes generate more issues.
An elderly man with a million in his bank account
In March 2018, William John Bampton from Queensland, Australia, struck it rich by winning approximately a million Australian dollars (around 740,000 USD) in Lotto. Initially, he used his winnings to buy a house for his son. Several months later, he also gave 300,000 Australian dollars to his daughter. However, as per media reports, the elderly man was hesitant to share his winnings with his daughter due to his disapproval of her husband. He soon regretted his decision to give her a large amount, claiming he was forced into it.
Yet, the District Court in Brisbane refuted Bampton's charges that he was pressured or intimidated into writing a cheque. According to evidence provided by his daughter and her husband, the father had promised to give each of his children 300,000 Australian dollars on several occasions.
Family dispute over money
Ultimately, Bampton not only reneged on offering the money to his daughter but also altered his will to ensure she wouldn't receive the promised amount until after her husband's death.
Bampton hasn't given up and plans to appeal the court's verdict. This kind of family discord due to lottery winnings isn't exclusive to them. As an employee of the lottery cited by Business Insider pointed out, winners often struggle with refusing to share winnings with kin, which can lead to conflicts.
Clearly, in this case, the financial windfall didn't bring joy. The elderly man's son even referred to the family feud as one of the "most tragic in Lotto's history" during an interview, claiming that the win was the "worst thing" that happened to them.
