The tragic last words of a lottery millionaire after a single mistake caused his life to take a sinister turn

Like most people, Billie Bob Harrell thought winning the lottery would be the answer to all his prayers.

So after winning a huge windfall of $31m (£26m), he quit his job at Home Depot, took his wife and three children on holiday and decided to use some of the money 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 hometown during Christmas.

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He bought a ranch and gave new houses to his relatives.

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 his financial help.

Under community pressure, Harrell of Harris County, Texas, made a bad decision that would ultimately lead to his death.

He reached an agreement with a company that offers lottery winners one-time payments in exchange for their annual $1.24 million checks.

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

His eldest son, Ben, said people “cared about him” and expected him to lend them money.

“He enjoyed the attention. He preferred receiving that attention to buying something,” Ben said.

Of course, this affected her personal life and less than a year after winning, her marriage broke down.

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

Harrell had expressed his displeasure to a financial advisor shortly before his death, 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 only wanted you.”

The tragic story recently resurfaced on YouTube and many viewers were quick to give their opinion.

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

“At first the cat is grateful, but then he gets used to it and ‘expects’ the food. Soon he starts to be picky about the food he eats and demands only the best cat food. Soon he starts bringing over some stray cat friends and they too behave as if they have a right to do so because they are following in the footsteps of the original stray cat.

“After a while, when you finally try to stand your ground, it’s too late. They’ll get angry and try to find ways to make your life miserable in retaliation.”

Another added: “This happens all the time, so often that it’s called the lottery curse.” Part of the problem is that people who play the lottery are usually not very financially savvy, 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 people who suddenly appear and ask or demand money. And it’s not as simple as saying no. Many people have been threatened, robbed, kidnapped and even killed to get their earnings.”

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