Body Found Is Lotto Winner's Granddaughter

[billbuckhead]

Body Found Is Lotto Winner's Granddaughter

Monday, December 20, 2004

•
Powerball Winner's Wife Wishes He'd Torn Up Ticket
•
Powerball Winner's Granddaughter Missing
•
Unluckiest Powerball Winner Faces Jail
•
Powerball Winner Arrested for Drunk Driving, Packing Heat
•
Jackpot Winner's House Burglarized as Dead Man Lies Inside
•
Powerball Winner Robbed Again and Again
•
Powerball Winner Sued for Sex-Related Assault
•
Powerball Winner Has More Money Stolen
•
Powerball Winner Arrested on Assault Charges

SCOTT DEPOT, W.Va. — The body of record Powerball winner Jack Whittaker's (search) 17-year-old granddaughter was found Monday in a rural area in western West Virginia, State Police said.


Brandi Bragg's (search) body was tentatively identified based on tattoos on her neck, said State Police Sgt. Jay Powers.

-----------snip--------------

Bragg's grandfather became an instant celebrity on Christmas Day 2002 after winning a $314.9 million Powerball jackpot. He took his winnings in a lump sum of $113 million after taxes. Since then, Whittaker has been arrested twice for drunken driving in the past year and has been ordered by magistrates in two different counties to undergo substance abuse treatment.

<http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,142103,00.html>

Unbelievable redneck drama.

[hlthe2b]

1. Such a waste... think of all the good he could have done for the WVA

poor....Such a total waste...

[truthisfreedom]

2. or how much havoc he could have wreaked on their lives too.

the lesson is about the volatility of a hundred million dollars on a person's life, when he's done nothing to earn it.

[Moloch]

3. I think he donated 20million to churches and stuff...

[liberalhistorian]

5. Actually, he did do a lot

of good, he's given millions to his church's service ministries and to local and national charities. As much as I'd love to win the lottery and be free of financial worry, no amount of money in the world could ever make up for losing a child/spouse/close relative. I'd rather be dirt poor forever than suffer that kind of loss.

[hlthe2b]

7. true... Glad to hear he tried to do good with the money.

Tragic situation, truly.

[complain jane]

4. Is this that same guy who had a ton of $ stolen from his truck at a bar?

or sumthin'?

[The Great Escape]

6. That Would Have Been The Pink Pony

[complain jane]

46. Is that his nickname of the name of the bar.

[The Great Escape]

50. It Was The Name Of a Strip Club In Cross Lanes WV...

if I am not mistaken, it is closed now. It is clearly visible from I-64.

[alexisfree]

8. Ask a favor of the devil and be ready to face the consequences.

[Scooter24]

9. It's time

that lottery officials start to realize that parading their winners in front of the world press is not a good idea.

I can understand trying to hype the lottery to boost ticket sales, but if I was a winner, the last thing I would want is to be announced in front of a group of reporters and cameras so that the public would know I won. That's inviting a host of problems.

[TaleWgnDg]

10. Unaccustomed to handling money and/ squandering it, publicly, is the fault

Unaccustomed to handling money and/or squandering it, publicly, is the fault of many who are gambling winners or other winners of huge sums of money. It's not solely publicity although publicity does play a large part in some's negativity.


.

[amazona]

33. he was a rich man, a millionaire already

There is more to this story. This man was a multi-millionaire before he "won" the lottery. (I personally have questions about the legitimacy of his win, but we won't go there again.) Maybe one day we will learn the whole story, but let's just say I am comfortable in stating he was not one of the good guys. He knew how to handle money, but maybe his conscience and/or the people he was dealing with got to him.

I'm guessing the whole story will come out in a decade or so when it doesn't matter any more.

[KDLarsen]

20. Can't the winners say No?

In Denmark, where the biggest lottery award ever is something like 4 million $, the lottery officials work from the idea that the winner prefers to be anonymous. Only if the winner WANTS to be known in public, the press can be contacted (and even then, there is a great degree of anonymity). Heck, they even have a financial consultant hired to help people make the most of the money they've earned.

Oh, and hang in there! We 700 Club prisoners must stick together :P

[amazona]

34. lottery winners can't say no, this is tax money

If you win a casino jackpot, such as Megabucks, yes, you can say "no" to any publicity.

However, the lottery is to raise public funds, and as there were many examples of lottery cheating and scandals in the olden days, it is very important to reveal who the winners are. Otherwise, the only winners would be friends of the lottery officials.

[Walt Starr]

35. Yep, read the back of the Lotto ticket

It tells you the lottery commission or whatnot has the rights to publicity.

[KDLarsen]

45. Sounds like a recipe for disaster!

Since the person will get all sorts of letters from stranger claiming to be his/hers long lost cousin/uncle/aunt/whatever. I would personally prefer some sort of anonymity, especially if we're talking about the insane sums of money up for grabs in the US.

[amazona]

36. must be public information -- this is for public funds

Sorry, but if people aren't willing to go public when they win, they should not buy tickets. The potential for corruption is huge if lottery winners are allowed to keep secret who they are -- only the friends of lottery officials would then win the lottery. This is the story of the original Louisiana Lottery for example.

[booksenkatz]

11. A question

Why do lottery winners almost invariably prefer to take winnings in a smaller lump sum up front, rather than receive the full payout over a period of years? It seems to me that a full payout, put into trust, could do an enormous amount of good in this world. Is it because the lottery would not pay into your estate if you died before the 20-years was up (or whatever the time period is)? To my uneducated-about-lotteries ear, it sounds as if a person is actually being greedier by "needing" all of that money NOW. Sure, you'd want to buy a few things and make sure you and your family are taken care of financially. But beyond that, that amount of money could actually help so many people and causes! I grew up reading columns written by some zillionaire named Percy Something who changed so many lives with his millions. I always thought that would be an amazing way to spend your money, if you had it.

Maybe someone could explain to me how it works.

[MSgt213]

13. I pretty sure if you died the lottery stops paying and your survivors get

nothing. That's why most take it in a lump sum.

[neohippie]

15. the rules differ by state

I think that if you collect the prize as a trust, instead of an individual then you can continue to collect the trust is a living entity like a corporation

[ElsewheresDaughter]

28. that is correct in NY

[Walt Starr]

14. Generrally speaking, the payoff over years is nowhere near as much

as the potential earnings off the lump sum over the same period of time, plus you gamble on changing tax laws over time.

Add to that the fact that if you die in that period of time, it's over because there are no survivor benefits to most lottery jackpots.

[Cleopatra2a]

19. In Texas, they continue paying your "group"

if you set one up. I never play the Lotto, only if it's a bajillion dollars. I'm happy now with what I have.

[Walt Starr]

26. I play the lotto, but...

I call it paying the "Math Tax". Your odds of winning the lotto by purchasing a ticket are only microscopically better than if you don't buy a ticket.

:evilgrin:

[ProfessorGAC]

27. That's The Correct Answr, Walt

The discount rate is based upon the statutorily allowed investment distribution for the annuity the state(s) has to buy to fund the award.

Since that is bond heavy, the dicount rate is low. So, one ends up with about 30% of the total award after taxes. Given the time value of money over 20 years, the net prize at prime interest rates would only deliver a total equal to about 80% of what one would have at equal spending, at the end of 20 years, if one took it 20 increments.

This of course, assumes that the markets will be reasonably stable and the portfolio of the personal annuity is diversified enough. Also, in a period of market growth, one could multiply the returns significantly (think mid-90's), which wouldn't happen at all if one was on the 20 year plan.

So, you are right, this is the main reason why people take the lump sum payout, and are usually correct in doing so.
The Professor

[toopers]

48. Also, if you take the money up front . . .

there is no chance of the state defaulting on its debt to you in the future.

[BiggJawn]

17. Would you get more bang for you buck with an investment adviser...

If you had 150 megabucks to work with, or just $50,000?

I may die tomorrow. Why would I take a piddly amount annually, with the chance that I may only see a few million of my "jackpot" before I die. people got into just as much trouble finacially when they got their million-dollar jackpots spread over 20 years, too.

Sure, it's greed. Why do people pay the "Bad at Math Tax" anyway?

Plus-if you take the annual pay-out, the state pays you from the interest accrued from your "winnings". You never get ONE dime of 150 megabuck prize Principal. They basically keep it and give you part of the interest. Sweet deal for them, huh?

[Walt Starr]

31. Why do people pay the Math Tax?

Not many places where you can buy hope at a buck a shot!

[BiggJawn]

38. That's the way it seems, isn't it.

"Oh, GAWD, just let me hit that Powerball before the Sheriff comes to kick me out of my house!"

And you're right. Just a BUCK. Just ONE BUCK, and I could be set for LIFE! All my troubles would be over!

And as Art Spiegelman said, "And there, my troubles began..."

Play Responsibly! :evilgrin:

"Gambling Problem? Dial 1-800- IMA DUMMY"

[Walt Starr]

39. Hey, I pay the math tax.

Somebody has to win, and if you don't buy a ticket you could never ever be that somebody.

:shrug:

Not that I'm ever going to win, but I end up paying about 70% of the list price by playing consitistently over time.

Ya never know, you just might be that statistical anomaly some day!

[hyphenate]

21. If you accept the annual payments

they're not paid equally. Check out the California lottery site at http://www.calottery.com.

Like, if you accept the annuity, the first year, you might only get $200,000. The next year, it would go to about $250,000. It will just increase a small amount yearly until it's all paid off in 26 years.

If you take the whole sum, you can invest it at a higher rate than the state can, in money market accounts, certificates of deposit and other more progressive stocks, bonds and fund accounts.

If you're young and want a steady income, go for the annual payments, as you will get it every year. But if it's a large amount, and you're not exactly 20 anymore, you are best off taking the lump sum.

And in different states, provisions for the carry over of the money into your estate differ. Many of them allow you to name the beneficiary of the remainder of the amount in your will, but others won't allow it to be carried over at all.

[Walt Starr]

32. The state also has to guarantee the annuity, so they cannot take ANY risk

it's so bond heavy that the state realizes very little return on the investment.

[0007]

12. Wow!

[onecitizen]

16. You know, this guy was a........

millionaire before he won the lotto. He owned a construction company. He has been a sad, sad man since he won the money. Everyday, in the news here, there's something about him. And it's never good.

[BiggJawn]

18. Sure is a lot of superstition peeking out here.

What I'm getting is that Jack wouldn't have had any trouble in his life if he hadn't won that jackpot.

Isn't that silly? Wonder how many religion hucksters have offered to take that "cursed money" off his hands?

Bet you could find some dirt-poor slaughterhouse worker who's had just as rough a life. The only difference being that without a 150 megabuck bankroll, who give a rat's ass.

[geebensis]

22. I remember seeing the granddaughter on TV...

It was on one of the morning news shows. She was sitting next to the big winner and she appeared to be absolutely stoned out of her gourd. When asked what she wanted to do she slurred "Ah wanna meet Nelly."

Don't know if she ever did.

Big bucks certainly haven't done any favors for that family.

[elehhhhna]

23. ...ID'd by a tatoo on her neck? Ick.

[wordout]

24. didn't the granddaughters 17 yr old friend die recently too?

thought i had read that in the "wish he'd torn it up" thread a while back..

[salin]

25. Local paper said the friend was found dead at the Lottery winner's home

made me think that this death might be a vendetta? Rather than just "bad luck."

[tom_paine]

29. How is it that 314 mil becomes 113 mil after taxes?

???

[salin]

30. Immediate vs Prorated pay out

if winner takes the prize now - they get about 50% of the prize before taxes... If winner takes prize over say 25 years, it is prorated at the full rate across those years.

[tom_paine]

37. Ah. Gotcha.

[Walt Starr]

40. Yep, and after taxes on that 50% immediate payoff

it works out to roughly a third of the listed jackpot amount in a lump sum check.

Plus, most people don't realize you will probably owe more taxes on the sum. All that is withheld under the law is 28% for federal and whatever the local authorities withold, so unless you do the right thing, you could owe beteen 3 and 10% more when you file.

[Sparkle]

41. What if you take the payments of 25 years but get a bank to

finance the money for you? That way you get more in a lump sum than with the lottery?

[Walt Starr]

42. Your take-home is even less than with the lump sum

because now you are paying interest on it instead of the other way around.

[hippiechick]

43. Causality question ..

Is it that winning the lottery makes people more unlucky, or is it that people whose lives tend to be ... drama filled ... are more likely to buy lottery tickets ??


:shrug:


:hippie:

[Walt Starr]

44. There is no causality link

People who win large lottery prizes are immediately catapulted into the public eye, thus theiur drama becomes an open book.

Somebody else somewhere else who did not win the lottery has every bit as much drama in their life, but nobody notices because, well, they are nobody.

This is the result of infotainment as an industry.

[toopers]

47. With all due respect to the dead granddaughter . . .

this whole melodrama reminds me of a couple of old sayings: 1) you can take the boy out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the boy; 2) you can't buy class.

[Mark H]

49. This is so sad.

He really loved that little girl. He'll be dead within a year.

[rocktivity]

51. (She)....was last seen Dec. 4 at the home of a male friend

...Whittaker reported her missing five days later.

The unidentified friend told police that she was still at his home when he went to bed. When he woke up, she was gone, but her vehicle was still parked at his house. The friend is not considered a suspect...

Maybe they do it differently in WV, but I send my guests home when I'm ready to go to bed (unless, of course, I've invited them to go to bed with me). Could this be a kidnapping plot gone bad, or worse, a kidnapping hoax gone bad?

:headbang:
rocknation

[rainbow4321]

52. Grandfather says "It's not her fault"

I realize he probably said this in the early stages of grieving...but it is still incredible to hear him try to explain how she was MADE to buy and use the drugs.



http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/L/LOTTERY_WINNER_GRANDDAUGHTER?SITE=TXSAE&SECTION=US&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

No charges have been filed. Investigators said they are awaiting toxicology results and have yet to disclose the cause of death. But on Thursday, Whittaker said: "All of the problems I have had are because of my granddaughter's friends, her drug-using friends. I'm going to find them and put them in jail. It's not her fault; it's the people who sold drugs because they weren't taken off the street."

[pinniped]

53. I could see a recipe for disaster.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2004/12/24/national1615EST0570.DTL

--Brandi had her own apartment and several vehicles, including a Hummer and a Cadillac Escalade -- indications of a teen with too much money, Layton said.

"The very first few weeks after she won the lottery, they would get $10,000 out during the day. It was between all of them. Her mom would get out $5,000 and Brandi would only get out five more," Layton said.--

[DemBones DemBones]

54. "I won the Powerball and before long,

I found that my life became a country song."