Lawmakers have changed the rules to provide anonymity for winners to protect them from being targeted by criminals or harassed on social media.
After Iowa gas station employee Timothy Schultz won a $29 million lottery jackpot in 1999, he decided to hold a press conference. Lottery officials told him it would help him avoid being “hounded by media” since state law required his name to be disclosed anyway.
But the then-21-year-old soon felt the consequences of his overnight fame.
He felt like a “deer in headlights,” and his life immediately changed: Strangers regularly asked him for autographs or to “rub him for good luck.” Shultz, now in his 40s, said he would consider remaining anonymous today if he were given the choice.
“I wasn’t just Tim anymore, I was Tim the lottery winner,” Shultz said.Saturday’s drawing is for $1.8 billion
Saturday’s $1.8 billion Powerball jackpot is the second-largest in history, but even if there is a winner, don’t expect to find out who they are or how they plan to use their winnings — unlike when Schultz won, most winners can now remain anonymous.
Lawmakers in many states have changed the rules in recent decades to protect winners from being targeted by criminals and unscrupulous people asking for money. And even in the approximately two dozen states where names are disclosed, winners are advised to avoid public scrutiny.
Kurt Panouses is a lottery lawyer who has represented winners for decades, including some worth hundreds of millions.
Panouses advises his clients to use intermediaries where possible and claim their prizes on busy news days, such as Election Day, to avoid coverage.
Panouses regularly fields inquiries from investors, scammers and people in need, all trying to reach his clients.
“It’s hard for people who don’t have the experience or life perspective to say no,” Panouses said.
