Lottery winner loses million-dollar prize to ex‑husband in court ruling

They say money can't buy happiness, but losing it to an ex-partner can lead to considerable frustration. An American woman, Denise Rossi, learned this the hard way when she won over a million dollars in the lottery. Years later, she had to give the money to her ex-husband. And it was all because of an accidental letter...

One can only sympathize with the California lottery winner. Years ago, she bought a winning ticket and became the owner of a substantial fortune overnight.

The winnings deposited a staggering amount of over a million dollars into her account. However, she decided to take a small gamble before collecting the prize.

Denise hid the win from her husband, instead filing for a divorce. This tactic was intended to protect her from asset division in case of a split.

Unfortunately, a letter meant for lottery winners ended up in the hands of her ex-husband a few years after the separation. In this way, the man learned that the fortune won by his wife had been hidden from him and may have even been the direct cause of their separation.

The deceived spouse reported the matter to the court. Although Denise denied until the end that the win had anything to do with the separation, it turned out that she had hidden the winning check at her mother's place before the divorce.

The judge ruled that the woman had violated the laws regarding the disclosure of assets and funds before divorce. As a result, she was ordered to pay her ex-husband $66,800 in 20 instalments.