He became an instant celebrity when he won a record $315 million jackpot in 2002. But he later said he wished he had torn up the ticket.
Andrew Whittaker Jr., whose life became rife with setbacks and tragedy after he won a record $315 million Powerball jackpot on Christmas night in 2002, has died. He was 72.
The Ronald Meadows Funeral Parlor in Hinton, W. Va., confirmed the death but did not say where or when he died, or specify the cause.
Mr. Whittaker, known as Jack, became an instant celebrity at 55 when he claimed what was then the largest lottery jackpot won by a single ticket in the United States. He opted for the lump-sum payout of $113.4 million after taxes, and he flew off to New York with his family in a private jet to appear on network television morning shows.
But he quickly fell victim to scandals, lawsuits and personal setbacks as he endured constant requests for money, leaving him unable to trust others. He was often quoted as saying he wished he had torn up the ticket.
His wife left him. A friend of his drug-addicted granddaughter was found dead at his home in 2004.
