British teen lottery winner Callie Rogers, 22, blew through nearly all of a jackpot of over $3 million, spending a substantial amount of it on cocaine.
Rogers told local British media that her ex-boyfriend Nicky Lawson got her hooked on cocaine and that she spent £250,000 (about US$406,000) on the habit.
"I was spending a fortune on cocaine, a nasty evil drug that tears your life apart," Rogers was quoted as saying. "I'll be honest. About a quarter of a million pounds of my win has been wasted on it."
The News reported earlier in August that the young woman who won millions from the lottery as a teenager was broke, but much happier that way.
At the tender age of 16, Rogers won a jackpot of £1.9 million, or about US$3.1 million. But the stress of overnight riches caused lots of problems for the teen at a time in life when a minimum-wage job is more than many kids can manage.
"I was just too young to cope with suddenly having that amount in the bank when I'd come from nothing," she said in a recent interview.
"In the past six years I have sunk into a black hole — a black hole that at one point I thought I could never crawl out of."
Rogers said her drug-induced depression had caused her to attempt suicide three times.
On the last occasion in November last year her latest drug dealer boyfriend Ryan Thompson found her at home with her wrists slashed. She claims to have stayed off drugs since and is attempting to rebuild her life.
Her winnings have been spent on expensive cars, gifts, loans to family members, four houses she bought and furnished for herself and family members, luxury vacations, plastic surgery, clothing, and partying, as well as a trust fund for her children. "I won't lie, I've blown most of it," she said. "But do you know what? I don't care. Because all that money has brought me is heartache."
Rogers said she had £20,000 in a bank account and "that's about it."
A child trust fund set up for her son was "raided" by Lawson, but around £15,000 is left.
She said she is no longer taking anti-depressants, is having counselling and the support of family and friends is helping her to make the most of her life again.
"For as long as I can remember I've suffered from depression."
She first attempted suicide at 13 and winning the lottery made her mental health problems "much, much worse" instead of better, she said.
Rogers has moved back into her mother's house and is working three cleaning jobs to make ends meet, according to the Mail. She has two children, ages one and four, with Lawson.
Callie Rogers won £1.8 million (US$3 million), but then spent nearly all of it on fast cars, vacations, parties, and cocaine.
Luckily she did not die from a drug overdose and has cleaned up. Even with her wild spending habits, I am surprised that she still has money left after six years, especially when she won $ 3 million.
Young fool.
They allow people as young as 16 to play the lottery in Britain? Where were her parents in all this? I don't think a teenager has the ability to handle or control that much money. I'm not saying her parents should have had it, but, there should have been someone overseeing it, like some type of custodian.
Sadly their were no Responsible Adults in her Family to Guide Her Along the Way.
I agree. There should have been something set up to limit how much she could withdraw at any given time. Be it per day, per week, per transaction, something. Or set up like an allowence per week or per month. It reminds me of when the kid next door opened a bank account. Because she was a minor, her dad had her account set up so she could not withdraw without his consent. She could deposit her butt off but in order to withdraw she needed his signature right there with hers.
Wow, I wonder if each of her 2 children have a drug addiction now or soon. Certainly, her 4 year-old child has suffered longer than her 1-year old child.
Also, it's very sad, unfair, and deranged that the children's father (didn't say married to her) isn't being forced to pay back the monies that he stole from her/his children's trust funds [how can it be legal for a parent (even if they have the same last name) to siphen off hundreds of thousands of dollars from their baby and toddler children's trust funds; aren't these funds audited by someone who observes AGES of the trust owners? Perhaps, in the case of minors, trust funds shoud begin being treated as JUDGE SUPERVISED Probate accounts].
Wow, what a sad story.
This is not a sad story. The people who really need to win the lottery can't win, and the cracck head who doesn't need it end it up win. So what can I say? Whose choice is it? Is it our choice or someone else? For example, I got a good heart and have many good plan if I win, but I can't win. Wht? Why? Why? someone give me an answer
Well, you may have noticed that several jackpot winners had the same results as you (never really winning more than a $2-$30 bucks) -- but then, SUDDENLY, after buying each drawing ticket(s) for 20 years, they win the jackpot ... THEN THE BIG EXCITEMENT BEGINS!
Obviously, we have to obtain a ticket in order to win. Best wishes to each of you LotteryPost folks (whether your behavior is good OR bad as the crow flies) .
Because you do not deserve to win. That's why.
"Suddenly I went from having nothing to having more money than I could ever imagine, and I was only 16. Everyone all over the world was reading stories about me and (I) hated being in the spotlight.'"
Well she could have chosen to remain anonymous, UK lottery winners can and most do and get on with their lives, just with more financial security.
"homes for family members", that is the problem, some lottery winners think they can work wonders for their families and go broke trying. She should have invested her win and kept stum, but she was only 16. If only she had sensible parents, but if they did try to advise her, would she have listened?
I read the story on yahoo yesterday, people like that don't deserve to win the lottery.I also heard stories of older people spending all the money on a short period of time.When i win the lottery i won't tell nobody and the money will last.
Wow.
I am a shocked at you guys, especially you Todd. What a nasty comment to leave behind. It's not like any of you were angels or innocent or that d*mn smart when you were 16. What a bunch of sourpuss lottery losers you guys are. With that kind of attitude towards other people in their time of hardships, I sure as heck hope you NEVER win a cent. Behave like you age, if you don't wanna be called out on it, she's 16. You're not. You know better. Still, I hope all of you that commented nasty things, never win a thing. Again, just shocked at your negative comments, especially from some you chronic posters, who should post better.