Worker Won Lottery And Left Their Job Before Realizing The Amount Was Much Less Than Anticipated
The conversation with their boss afterwards was a little bit awkward.
A and V Photography, Mehaniq / CanvaPro While many of us struggle through our daily lives, 9 to 5s and family responsibilities, there are a few glimpses at an escape that make it all worth it. Whether it be vacations, lottery tickets, or career goals, these small joyful moments give us the motivation to continue in our, sometimes, monotonous lives.
When a person named Beks shared their story of winning the lottery on their lunch break, it seemed like that “escape” from reality was finally realized. However, when they went straight to the lottery office, they were met with an unfortunate snap back to reality.
After quitting their job, this person realized their winning lottery ticket was worth much less than they’d originally anticipated.
“I won the lottery a few years ago and it was a very humbling experience,” Beks admitted.
Despite not being a “typical” gambler or a “fan” of lottery tickets, Beks decided to grab one at a gas station while on their lunch break from work. With a $20 scratch-off ticket in hand, they headed back to their car, indifferent about their chances of winning big.
“I thought the odds were greater on [more expensive tickets],” they say. “It was a 10 thousand dollar a week for life scratch off.” When they sat down in the car and started to scratch it off, they realized that their assumption must’ve been correct because there was the $10K prize staring back at them.
Beks confessed they ‘no-contact’ quit after scratching off a winning lottery ticket on their lunch break.
In their original video, they inserted a clip of the aftermath that followed finishing the scratch-off. With wide eyes and a speechless expression, they flipped the camera around to reveal the $10K winnings, then back around to catch their shock one more time.
“It was on my lunch break and I just dipped out,” they admitted playfully. “I didn’t tell anyone, I just went right to the lottery office — ready for my $10K a week for life.”
Photo: Mehaniq / Canva Pro
Although Beks was aware of the taxes that ceremoniously get taken away from big winners of the lottery, they weren’t worried because this payout wasn’t supposed to be a “one-time” winning. Beks was set for life with this unexpected win, and excited about the potential to have a weekly income much larger than their typical job’s salary.
Things took a quick turn when they arrived, however.
After arriving at the lottery office, they realized they only won $10K — not the $10K per week the lottery ticket advertised.
“I didn’t read it correctly,” Beks regretfully admitted. “Because it was just $10K” and not the weekly payout of $10K they’d originally thought, “after taxes that’s about $6K” — far from the original sum of money they’d excitedly shared on camera.
Confused and angry, they eventually came to the realization that they needed to go back to work. While this payout would certainly be helpful, it wasn’t enough to give up their typical income.
Photo: Mehaniq / Canva Pro
“I had to go back to work and explain why I was gone for so long. I was humbled, to say the least.”
Most states require lottery and casino winners to pay taxes on winnings over $2K, with federal tax requirements added on top.
While taxes were only a part of this employee’s disappointment, many people realize much greater losses on their lottery winnings, especially when they’re huge payouts. Tax expert, Duke Alexander Moore, broke down the lump sums many lottery winners are forced to give up because of taxes.
So, for a lottery winner of over 2 billion dollars, their actual take-home winnings would be closer to $630 million, an insane amount that the government reaps from taxes.
Moore explained that the government is entitled to withholding taxes, federal taxes, and state taxes from lotto earnings.
While it might not be their entire motivation to strip you of your profit, it’s what ends up happening for many winners.
So, if you find yourself in the midst of a potentially life-changing lottery win, ensure you give everything a second thought before leaving your “old life” behind.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a news and entertainment writer at YourTango focusing on pop culture analysis and human interest stories.