Every once and a while I like to check in on my favorite loser PowerBall Winner: Jack Whittaker.

The Washington Post has an excellent article about the misery and pain that has been brought to the people in and around Jack. It's a long article but worth a read.

* Jack's now estranged from his lovely, supportive wife of 40 years Jewell
* His only granddaughter Brandi, the love of his life he says, is dead
* His granddaughter's ex-boyfriend also died under suspicious circumstances
* A nice waitress at a gas stop, Brenda, with whom he shared some of his winnings, has people trying to take advantage of her even though Jack didn't give her that much money
* Several young people that associated with his granddaughter are under arrest for various crimes
* Some local business owners have gone out of business
* Jack has offered money to women to strip for him, even in front of their boyfriends

There seems to be no end to the misery. Donating money to a church does not seem to make up for the types of sin Jack has been engaging in.

I used to dream of winning a big lottery pot. I can't see myself turning down $100 million, but I can see from the Whittaker story that everything changes with a big win. All your friends change, your family changes, you change, anyone you give money to changes... You have to be very, very careful and not just throw money around.