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How does it affect a person to win the biggest lottery prize in history?

How does it affect a person to win the biggest lottery prize in history?

March 2, 2024

There are numerous studies on what happens to lottery winners after taking a considerable amount of money . After a US nurse took $ 758 million in the Powerball draw, the debate over whether winning the lottery brings happiness or not, gained even more strength. His name was Mavis Wanczyk, and his prize became the highest ever given in the history of the lottery to one person.

Most of those who play the lottery do so thinking of a better life and without trouble. Mavis bought a Powerball ticket just for that purpose, and found out that she had hit all the numbers on the same night of the draw. His feelings became a mixture of excitement and nervousness, so he decided to take a few weeks to consult with financial advisers.


Does it make us "crazy" to win the lottery?

Given this situation, some researchers said that the award would bring new responsibilities and pressures to the winner, based on the fact that money does not give happiness. Others, on the other hand, clarified that if she had a clear idea of ​​what happiness is for her, an economic injection into her bank account would not really hurt her.

Mavis left his job at the hospital and, just a few weeks later, chose to receive the award in a single payment, once the taxes were deducted. Then, he assured that his dream had "come true". In the following days, his name appeared in all the media, and the garden of his house was full of security measures, as a way of prevention.


The worry that could feel at that time, was eclipsed by the joy of the prize, as the experts said. On whether he would find happiness or not, the studies appeal to the concept of "hedonic adaptation", which is the tendency of people to be "always dissatisfied" , and always need something more to feel happy.

The science of the brain ... and its relation to money

In 2008, a study carried out on lottery winners in the Netherlands concluded that, in effect, those who entered more money felt happier . However, with the passage of time, they returned to feel like at the beginning, since once their needs were met, they set their goals again in higher quotas. In the case of Mavis, he chose to stay out of the media line, and try to manage his fortune responsibly. Others, however, could not or did not want to do the same. The most extreme case, and that luckily is an exception, is that of Jack Wittaker, an American who spent his 90 million dollars on unnecessary luxuries and that did not help him to be happy (quite the contrary).


The way in which winning a big lottery prize affects each person depends, therefore, on the person himself.

Bibliographic references:

  • Loria, K. (2017). How winning the lottery affects happiness, acording to psychology research. Business Insider Available at: //www.businessinsider.com/winning-powerball-lottery-happiness-2017-8
  • Mestre N., José M. and Palmero C. Francesc (2004). Basic psychological processes. Mexico, McGraw Hill.
  • Nahin, P. J. (2000). Dueling Idiots and Other Probability Puzzlers. Paul J. Nahin. Princeton University Press.
  • Ronan, M. (2006). Symmetry and the Monster: One of the Greatest Quests of Mathematics. Oxford University Press.

EuroMillions: Brit Wins Europe's Biggest Ever Lottery Jackpot (March 2024).


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