Lotto millionaire’s tragic final phrases after one mistake noticed life take darkish flip

Like most, Billie Bob Harrell thought a lotto win would be the answer to all of his prayers.

So after scooping a whopping $31m (£26m) windfall, he quit his job at Home Depot, whisked his wife and three children away on holiday and decided to use some of it to help others.

His generosity extended beyond his immediate circle and his church and before long, he had donated 480 turkey dinners to needy families in his town during Christmas.

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He purchased a ranch and treated family members to new homes.

But while his acts of kindness brought joy to many, they also drew attention to his wealth and led to an increase in the number of people seeking financial assistance from him.

Under pressure from the community, Harrell from Harris County, Texas, made one bad decision that would ultimately lead to his demise.

He entered into an agreement with company that provides lottery winners with lump-sum payments in exchange for their annual checks of $1.24m.

The deal left him with significantly less money than he had won, contributing to his financial downfall.

His oldest son Ben said eople would “fuss over him” and expect him to lend them money.

“He enjoyed the attention. He’d rather have that attention more than buying himself something,” Ben said.

Of course, this took its toll on his personal life and less than a year after winning, his marriage broke down.

In 1999, just shy of two years after his Lotto Texas win, his son found him dead inside his home from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Harrell had expressed his unhappiness to a financial adviser shortly before his passing telling them: “Winning the lottery is the worst thing that ever happened to me.”

Three notes were found in the bedroom where his body was discovered, one of which was devastatingly addressed to his ex-wife, Barbara Jean. It read: “I didn’t want this. I just wanted you.”

The tragic story recently resurfaced on YouTube with many viewers quick to have their say.

One wrote: “Being giving only works so long because the first time you say no you become public enemy number one. People begin to feel entitled and they start coming up with ways to get at you, attack you, threaten you, set you up, etc. It’s like feeding a stray cat.

“At first the cat is grateful, but then gets comfortabale and ‘expects’ the food. Pretty soon it starts being picky about what food it will eat, demanding only the best premium cat food. Pretty soon it starts to bring some stray cat friends and they also act in an entitled manner because they’re taking cues from the original stray.

“After a while when you finally try to put your foot down it’s way too late. They’ll become angry and try to find ways to make your life miserable in retaliation.”

Another added: This actually happens all the time. So often that it’s called the curse of the lottery. Part of the problem is that people who play the lottery usually aren’t that financially savvy to begin with, and when they win, they squander all their money on cars, houses, gifts, etc. and then end up broke and miserable.

“The other problem is the people who come out of the woodwork and either ask for or demand money. And it’s not as simple as saying no. A lot of people have been threatened, robbed, kidnapped, and even murdered for their winnings.”

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