NEW PORT RICHEY, FL (WFLA) – Six little numbers could make one lucky person a millionaire dozens and dozens of times over as the Powerball is set to roll on the largest U.S. lottery jackpot ever on Saturday night.
While all of that money can’t buy happiness…
“It certainly doesn’t hurt, especially in our society,” said sociologist H. Roy Kaplan.
Kaplan literally wrote a book on “Lottery Winners” and has studied the impact taking home a big prize can have on people.
He has some advice for the potential Powerball jackpot winner.
“Please, don’t go on a binge. Take time. Don’t even quit your job,” said Kaplan.
In his past research, Kaplan found that big lotto winners don’t always quit their jobs once they hit it big, but they do stock up on expensive new goodies, like houses and cars.
“They move into houses and then they don’t have any money for furniture! I had one fellow who bought a big Cadillac and he lived in Philadelphia and it didn’t fit on his street. He had to move to get a bigger place to park his car,” said Kaplan.
Horror stories of lotto winners blowing all of their cash over a matter of months do exist, but Kaplan argues that in his experience, the lottery can actually save lives.
“For most people, it helped calm their lives down. In some people, it saved their lives because they were in dangerous jobs or their health was deteriorating and it helped them remove themselves from that situation,” said Kaplan.
