David Lee Edwards It has a curious history that includes poverty, prison, a millionaire lottery prize and bankruptcy in record time. It was in August 2001 when, in a stroke of luck, he won a quarter of the Powerball lottery, which offered a prize of 280 million dollars. By 2006, all his money was gone.
The first thing Edwards did after winning was marry his girlfriend Shawna Maddux in Malibu, California. Then, together, they began a consecutive chain of extravagant expenses that included a mansion in a gated community, a dozen high-end cars, and a private jet. But these excesses would have an earlier end than expected.
From prisoner to millionaire
Upon release from prison, David Lee Edwards was unemployed and broke. He had to borrow money from a friend to pay his bills and after paying for water and buying something to eat, he had enough left over bought 2 lottery tickets. Although it was his deepest desire, little did he imagine that this act would completely change his life.
His numbers were the winners, and in a matter of days, he went from having nothing to having 27 million dollars available. As soon as he was contacted, he and his girlfriend declared to the media that they would use the money responsibly. “Many people are out of work and have nothing, so I am not going to accept this money to get expensive cars and mansions, I want to receive it with humility and try to turn it into a good future for me and my wife,” he confessed.
How David Lee Edwards lost his fortune
What Edwards said had very little to do with what he ended up doing. To celebrate the award, even before receiving it, He requested a loan of $200,000 to take a trip to Las Vegas. In just 5 days, he had to call his lawyer to send him more money. As soon as the money appeared in his bank account, the real madness began. First bought a $1.6 million mansion in a private Palm Beach neighborhoodin Florida, and a house on the land next door, for another 600 thousand dollars.
And he didn’t stop there, in the first months he spent 3 million dollars, He bought a Private Jet, 3 race horses and 2 very expensive carsa $200,000 Lamborghini Diablo and a $90,000 Dodge Viper. In just 1 year he had already spent 12 million dollars.
After cars and properties he began to spend on jewelry and appliances. He bought a diamond-encrusted gold watch, a ring and a huge plasma screen television for $78,000, $159,000 and $30,000, respectively. In addition, he began using drugs again, with which a good part of his fortune was spent on various psychoactive substances for himself, his wife and his friends.
By 2006, Edwards and Maddux were broke. and living in a storage shed, covered in human feces, it was reported at the time. Maddux soon left and remarried. She and her new husband eventually got Edwards out of there to find a place for him in a shelter. Edwards died at age 58, in 2013. By the end of his life, he had spent all of his winnings and even owed thousands of dollars to others.
Source: Ambito
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
