MAINE.- A Maine man, whose identity has not been revealed, is in the middle of a legal battle with his family after winning one of the largest prizes in American lottery history, the Mega Millions of 1,350 million dollars.
The dispute centers on the winner’s alleged unfulfilled promises to share the prize with his loved ones, as described New York Post.
According to recent court documents, the mother of the winner’s daughter, identified as Sara Smith In the files, he claims that he was the one who first shared the news of his victory with the family, not her as he claims. The winner’s father also backs up this claim, stating that his son informed them of his fortune before detailing his plans for the money, which was reportedly received through an LLC, in a lump sum exceeding $500 million. .
“In February or March 2023, my son came to my house… and informed me and my wife that he had won a large amount of money in the Maine State Lottery,” his father wrote in court documents.
Despite alleged promises made by the winner, including the creation of a million-dollar trust fund and financial support for his family’s medical expenses, they have not materialized. This failure to keep promises has caused tensions within the family, with the winner reportedly cutting contact with his father after he expressed disappointment at his son’s actions.
“I told him… ‘You are not the son I knew,’” his father wrote in the filing. He “got angry and called me a ‘dictator’ and an ‘imbecile.’ I have not heard from my son since then and he has not done any of (the) things he promised,” the text adds.
The winner, for his part, argues that his relationship with his family suffered after revealing his victory without them signing a confidentiality agreement, and denies sharing details about how he planned to use the money. He also accuses the mother of her daughter of trying to expose her identity and accusing him of attempted kidnapping after refusing to fund a holiday for her and her partner.
Source: With information from New York Post
