Remember this feel-good story? It didn’t take long for tremendous wealth to send this guy down the path traveled by so many lottery winners.
Monday, December 13, 2004 • Last updated 12:01 p.m. PT
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The world's first glimpse of Jack Whittaker, winner of the richest undivided lottery jackpot in U.S. history, was of a boisterous, happy-go-lucky guy in a big cowboy hat who loved his family, work and God and promised to share his good fortune with the church and the poor. Two years later, the picture the public is seeing now is a mug shot of a haggard, somber Whittaker.
Although he was already a wealthy contractor, Whittaker became an instant celebrity on Christmas Day 2002 after winning a $314.9 million Powerball jackpot. He took his winnings in a lump sum of $113 million after taxes, and at a news conference in which he came across as a jolly saint, he promised to donate one-tenth to his church and contribute to other causes.
He soon created a charity to help people find jobs, buy food or get an education; he split $7 million among three churches; and he gave money to improve a Little League park and buy playground equipment and coloring books for children.
But in August 2003, a briefcase containing $545,000 in cash and cashier's checks was stolen from Whittaker's sport utility vehicle while it was parked at a strip club, and police disclosed that Whittaker not only frequented strip clubs but was also a high-stakes gambler - which is why he was carrying so much cash. The break-in was the first of several thefts involving Whittaker's vehicle, his office and his house.
One of the thefts occurred at his home on the same day an 18-year-old friend of Whittaker's granddaughter was found dead there. Also, last week Whittaker reported that his 17-year-old granddaughter was missing.
In May, two men sued Whittaker, claiming they were injured when they were tossed out of a nightclub at his request. In another lawsuit, three female employees of a racetrack claim Whittaker assaulted them last year. In January, he was accused of threatening and assaulting a bar manager; on Monday, he was fined $100 and ordered to attend weekly Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.
In a December 2003 interview with The Associated Press, Whittaker said he had provided about $14 million to more than 900 families. Today, his charitable foundation is closed.
Whittaker has an unlisted number, and his lawyers did not respond to requests for an interview. He told the AP last year that he had been bombarded with requests for help, and the fame was taking a toll on his family.
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