Do people do good things with their money?

Many people say if they received a large sum of money, they would use it to do good things.

That may or may not be true.

A woman in Cleveland recently filed a police report claiming that she had lost a $162 million lottery ticket. Although she had an extensive police record, some people gave her story credence until the real winner came forward.

The woman tried to divert attempts at justice by saying that she lied to help her children and to assist unemployed Cleveland police officers.

Her explanation had some holes in it.

Her children did not have special needs or have higher expenses than other children.

Although Cleveland has a higher cost of living than Richmond Kentucky, I would think that she should be able to get the children some school clothes, McDonalds Happy Meals and a couple of Dora the Explorer videos for less than $162 million.

Since Cleveland policemen have in the past, handcuffed her and hauled her away, I am not sure why she claimed she wanted to split her winnings with them. It could be that she was hoping to get some special treatment the next time she was arrested.

She might be looking for police protection from the throngs of people who believed her story and started searching around her neighborhood looking for the missing ticket.

I have given financial advice to some lottery winners and will write a future column on what to do when you win the big jackpot. It is a life changing experience with positive and negative consequences.

Although the first thing I will tell you is NOT to have a news conference when you win the money, most people can’t help themselves.

Usually, winners announce they are going to spend the money on worthwhile causes, like the man in West Virginia who said he was going to give money to charities and needy people.

Several months later, it was found that his favorite place to donate money was to strippers and bartenders at a local strip club. He made national news by flashing $545,000 in the bar and having it stolen from him.

Although booze and strippers were taking a great deal of his time, he was also deluged with people who wrote, called and harassed him wanting part of his money.

These people were not willing to take their clothes off, dance or even give him a beer for the money. He had it and they wanted it.

He now has to have bodyguards and security forces around his house. His life is poorer because other people have ideas for money that belongs to him.

Most of my clients are people who have been horribly injured. The money they receive is to compensate for a hell that most of us cannot imagine. They deserve every dime they get.

Even though these people have medical needs, many attract a host of family, “friends” and strangers who want to “handle” their money. These people come up with reasons why they deserve the money more than the injured person.

A friend has a picture of himself with a former President of the United States. He shows the picture saying that the President has the second toughest job in America. Then he shows a picture of a mother of a brain damaged baby, and says that this woman is the one who has the toughest job in America.

He is absolutely right.

You would think only extremely evil people would take money from a brain-damaged baby, but I see those who try on a regular basis.

Just like the woman in Cleveland, these people reason that it will help the greater good if they are allowed to “manage” it for the injured baby.

Many innocent people believe the self-serving lies. Since the woman in Cleveland was quickly discovered, the only people hurt by her lies were those searching in the cold and snow for her supposedly lost ticket.

When an injured child has money taken, it can never be given back.

In short, the world has some people who will take any sum that they can, from any person they can get it from.

My only hope is that when they attempt it, they will have as little luck as the Cleveland woman did.

Don McNay is President of McNay Settlement Group, which has helped some lottery winners who have actually purchased and managed to hang on to a valid ticket.