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The woman asked her husband for a divorce and hid from him that she had won the money. However, her ex-husband found out and the court decided to give her the entire lottery prize.
The story of North American Denise Rossi is a warning to all future winners of millionaire lottery prizes.
Denise tried to hide her $1.3 million prize — about 1.2 million euros — from her husband, but the plan backfired on her.
The saga began in 1996, when Rossi won a substantial lottery prize of $6.6 million, a prize he shared with five co-workers. However, the joy of his new enrichment was short-lived.
Just 11 days after winning the prize, Denise asked for divorce to Thomas Rossi, her husband of 25 years, without revealing her recent lottery success. This decision to hide her earnings from both her husband and the court would have significant repercussions, according to Unilad.
The concealment came to light in a rather unexpected way. Thomas Rossi found out about his lottery win two years after divorce, thanks to a letter from a company specializing in cash payments of lottery prizes, which was intended for his ex-wife and was addressed to her by mistake. Realizing the magnitude of the mistake, Thomas Rossi filed a lawsuit to receive compensation.
The court’s reaction to Denise Rossi’s omission was severe. Citing violations of asset disclosure laws and acts of fraud or malice, the judge ruled in favor of Thomas Rossi. Denise Rossi was ordered to pay 20 annual installments of $66,800, effectively transferring her entire lottery winnings to her ex-husband.
Denise Rossi’s lawyer, Connolly Oyler, lamented the outcome, suggesting that a more frank approach could have spared the loss of your earnings.
“I could have successfully argued that it was her separate property or we could have discussed it and we would have reached some adjustment. But the judge was angry and gave him everything,” she said.
This unusual case highlights the complexities surrounding sudden wealth and the critical importance of honesty in legal matters, especially in the context of a divorce.
Or more simply, as they say, who wants everything, loses everything.
