Mo money, mo problems.
A Maine man who won one of the biggest lottery jackpots in American history has been accused of stiffing his family out of their promised share of the loot, including backpedaling on setting up a million-dollar trust fund and covering medical expenses for his father.
The unidentified man – who bought the winning ticket in Lebanon, Maine on Jan. 13 of last year before striking it rich with the $1.35 billion Mega Millions jackpot – has been in a legal battle with his daughter’s mom since November, when he accused her of violating a non-disclosure agreement by telling the rest of the family about his newfound fortune before their daughter’s 18th birthday in 2032, according to the Independent.
But in new court filings, the mom – identified by a pseudonym, Sara Smith – claims he was the one who spilled the beans about the historic win to his family, not her.
The lucky man’s father buttressed Smith’s claims, saying his son told them about his victory before rattling off all the things he planned to do with the spoils, which the outlet said he collected through an LLC in a lump sum north of $500 million.
“February or March of 2023, my son came to my house … and informed me and my wife that he won a large amount of money in the Maine State Lottery,” his father wrote in the court documents, according to the outlet.
“I understand that my son has stated that he told me nothing about his money ‘other than the simple fact that I had won,’” the dad wrote. “That is not true.”
The father claims he didn’t ask for any money.
But that didn’t stop the newly minted half-billionaire from allegedly making a litany of unsolicited high-dollar promises, including building his dad a garage to fix up old cars, buying his childhood home, setting up a million-dollar trust fund and funding future medical expenses for his dad and stepmom.
His son also allegedly demanded he not speak to Smith, his granddaughter’s mother, ever again – which created a rift between the two, the Independent said.
“I told him… ‘You are not the son I knew,’” his dad wrote in the filing. “He got angry, calling me a ‘dictator’ and an ‘a–hole.’ I have not heard from my son since, and he has not done any of [the] things he promised.”
His son described it differently in his own filings.
“I made the mistake of telling my father that I had won the lottery without having him sign a confidentiality agreement,” the lotto winner wrote.
“Our relationship deteriorated quickly thereafter,” he continued. “I did not tell him what I was doing with my money, how I was going to benefit my daughter, or any facts other than the simple fact that I had won.”
He also accused his baby mama of trying to reveal his identity to the world, and said she accused him of trying to kidnap their daughter after he wouldn’t pay for a vacation for her and her boyfriend.