"70% of lottery winners go broke"
We checked. Only 2% did.
We tracked 180 Powerball jackpot winners across 32 years. The famous "bankruptcy" statistic was never real research - it was a myth.
Arina Musina
Lead Researcher
"I kept seeing the claim that '70% of lottery winners go bankrupt.' When I tried to find the source, I couldn't. What started as a quick fact-check turned into a five-week investigation tracking hundreds of Powerball winners across three decades."
Read the full storyReady-to-Use Angles for Your Story
Each card includes key stats, quotable findings, and links to source data.
The 70% Myth is FALSE
The famous statistic never existed. NEFE officially debunked it in 2018.
Identity Theft Epidemic
One winner's name generated 3,500+ FTC complaints. All $500M+ winners targeted.
Who Actually Wins?
71% male, age 52, 71% married, 80% working class. The typical jackpot winner.
Would You Keep Working?
1 in 5 kept their jobs for years after winning, including judges and truckers.
Lucky Moments
Spare change, wrong lines, fortune cookies that led to million-dollar jackpots.
Tragic Cases
Winners who lost family, battled addiction, or faced tragedy after their win.
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Need a Quote or Expert Comment?
Arina Musina, our lead research analyst, is available for interviews, custom data requests, and media inquiries.
180 winners tracked across 32 years using court records, news archives, social media, and public filings. Every data point verified.