The Powerball Lotto is a legalized multi-state form of gambling in the United States that pays enormous jackpots to the very few who purchase winning tickets. Jack Whittaker won almost $315 million in 2002. Hardly a rags to riches story, Whittaker had plenty of money before his big win, having built a $100 million equipment company from scratch.

At first, things went well. Whittaker tithed on his winnings and was generous to a variety of charities. He reportedly gave a home, automobile and $40,000 in cash to the woman who sold him the ticket.

All of his philanthropy, however, was not enough to curb Whittaker's destructive behavior. Within a few years, he had been robbed, involved in sex scandals, bounced checks at casinos, and named in several lawsuits. The worst was still to come. He is reported to have given his teenage granddaughter a $4,000 a week allowance. Whittaker received his worst blow when the girl, perhaps the person he loved most in the world, was found dead from an apparent drug overdose. The cause of all his troubles, claims Whittaker, was the "Powerball curse."

Chuck Beatley, The Root of Riches, (FORIAM Publishers, 2011), Page 74