After months of playing the lottery, OP finally got her big win. But now her husband wants her to share the money with his friend because they do everything together. Was she wrong to refuse?
The Powerball Jackpot
OP (Original Poster) started playing the lottery the year before this story was posted because everyone was raving about the Powerball jackpot.
Since then, OP has played casually, spending only a few dollars a week.
Small Wins
OP occasionally won a few bucks and never expected to win anything significant. Even so, she said it was “nice to dream” since she had a lot of debt and struggled financially.
Winning the Prize
Then, a few months before this story was posted, OP checked the winning numbers against her ticket. She saw that the numbers matched perfectly!
It’s Just Unbelievable
OP couldn’t believe that she won. She said, “Initially, I didn’t believe it and thought there had to be a mistake, so I told my husband, Adam, and we checked it like a dozen times, and I was right. We won.”
She mentioned that the jackpot was “life-changing, multi-generational, f*** you money.”
Staying Low
Despite their big win, OP and her husband agreed to keep the news to themselves. They wanted to wait a few months before they did anything.
OP wrote, “The past few months have been an incredible high, filled with disbelief, and though it’s been difficult, we have managed not to make any large purchases or change our lifestyle.”
It’s Time to Claim the Money
Since finding out about OP’s win, the couple had fantasized about what they would do with the money. However, since the time to claim the jackpot drew near, they started having “more practical” discussions about how to claim it and what to do with it.
Let’s Involve Tim!
While discussing things, Adam mentioned that it would be a good idea to split the money with his best friend and business partner, Tim.
She wrote, “Tim and Adam have been friends since they were in middle school and have done everything together ever since. Together they’ve started businesses, worked together, invested money, moved to the same town, and have often dreamed about our families making it big together.”
It’s Only Fair
Because of this close relationship, OP’s husband believed giving Tim one-third of the cash prize was only fair.
Doing so will allow them not to go on this new journey “alone.” Another reason Adam said was that it was suspicious to make all this money suddenly, so it’s easier to explain things if Tim “makes” money since they did everything together.
It’s a Big Risk
However, for OP, it’s pretty risky to let Tim’s family know that they had that much money.
OP said, “Tim’s family tends to be more flashy and like showing off, and I don’t fully trust that they will keep it quiet or modest enough not to raise suspicion. This is important because I’ve seen community members harass and attack people with far less money just because they feel entitled.”
Is It Worth It?
OP’s considering whether her husband’s suggestion is worth it. She feels doing so would “jeopardize” their safety, so she wants to avoid it as much as possible.
She added, “Also, I’m not really comfortable with his plan to add Tim and his wife as members of our LLC to claim the prize because I think it could make them feel entitled to a bigger chunk or take the money.”
A Selfish Decision
Adam is against OP’s decision and said she was “selfish” for thinking this way. He even said he “won’t enjoy their newfound wealth if his friend isn’t living the same lifestyle.”
OP doesn’t want to give in. She believes they could find another way to later give them some money after figuring out a way to explain how they got it in the first place without telling them about the lottery.
Unanswered Questions
Even if OP is quite sure about what she wants and doesn’t want to do, it’s still unclear to her if she’s making the right decision.
She asked, “Am I the a**hole for not wanting to tell them we won the lottery and split the money? Am I selfish?”
The Community’s Pieces of Advice
Users flocked to the comments section to give OP pieces of advice on how to manage her money.
One said, “Not the a**hole. Call an attorney and a financial advisor. Keep the money out of your husband’s business.” Another commented, “Be very cautious when it comes to your husband. Please make sure he doesn’t tell his friend before you’ve made a decision on how to proceed.”
Why Is Your Husband Acting That Way?
There were doubts about the nature of Adam and Tim’s relationship.
One said, “I wonder if the ‘best friend and business partner’ is actually the lover. Like, I have long-time best friends who are like family, but I wouldn’t give them one-third of my lottery winnings. Heck, I wouldn’t even give anyone in my family that.”
Protect Your Assets!
No matter what relationship Adam and Tim have, what’s essential is that OP protects her assets.
As one user said, “There are lawyers who specialize in folks like lottery winners who suddenly find themselves with life-changing money. Giving away a third to try and ‘disguise’ the win is a pretty ridiculous thing to do. On that note, please Google’ gift tax’ and ‘IRS.’ It’ll be eye-opening. OP should spend this time with the best professionals money can hire to protect themselves and learn to make the best financial decisions. Then they can make gifts to friends, knowing the tax implications. Best of luck with everything, OP! Not the a**hole.”
What should OP do next? Do you think she should share with her husband and his best friend?
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This post first appeared as She Refused to Let Her Husband’s Friend Know She Won the Lottery Jackpot. He’s “Flashy” and “Entitled” and Might Ask Her for a Big Chunk of Her Multi-Million Dollar Prize! on Quote Ambition.
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