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Woman Won’t Split $2 Million Lottery Winnings With Family After They Excluded Her From Trip

Woman with lottery winnings
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Living is becoming increasingly expensive, and of course, we all need money to pay our bills.

But money has a way of bringing out the worst in people, cautioned the people in the “Am I the A**hole?” (AITAH) subReddit, ironically especially when it involves estranged family members.

Redditor TooGiftid had always felt like a scapegoat and an outcast in her family, including the most recent family trip, for which they excluded her entirely.

But when she won the lottery, the Original Poster (OP) was shocked by how much her family pressured her to act like family now.

She asked the sub:

“AITAH for refusing to give my lottery winnings to my family after they excluded me from a family trip?”

The OP had always felt left out of her family.

“I (28 Female) come from a family of five, including my parents, my two siblings (30 Male and 25 Female), and me.”

“Growing up, I was always the ‘black sheep.'”

“My siblings were the golden children, and while I wasn’t outright ignored, I definitely got the short end of the stick.”

This pattern continued even after the OP grew up.

“A few months ago, my family planned a big overseas trip.”

“I found out through my sister’s Instagram posts, not from them directly.”

“When I asked why I wasn’t included, my mom said, ‘We didn’t think you’d want to come, and besides, we’re tight on budget.'”

“It hurt, but I let it go.”

But when the OP won the lottery, suddenly she was the center of their attention.

“Fast forward to a month ago: I bought a lottery ticket on a whim and ended up winning a life-changing amount of over two million dollars.”

“I decided to use the money wisely: paid off debts, invested, and set aside some for fun.”

“I didn’t tell my family right away because I didn’t want them to treat me differently.”

“Well, word got out after I bought a new car, and now they’re furious I didn’t offer to ‘share the wealth.'”

The family came up with plans for how to spend the OP’s winnings.

“My mom said it’s selfish to keep all that money to myself when they’re struggling (news to me, given the vacation).”

“My sister hinted that I should pay for her student loans, and my brother outright asked me to buy him a house.”

“I calmly explained that I wasn’t obligated to share just because we’re related, especially given how they’ve treated me in the past. I mentioned the trip as an example of how I’ve been excluded.”

“My dad said, ‘That was different; this is family money.'”

“Now they’re all calling me an ungrateful brat and saying I’m ruining the family dynamic.”

“AITAH for standing my ground and not giving them any money?”

Fellow Redditors weighed in:

  • NTA: Not the A**hole
  • YTA: You’re the A**hole
  • ESH: Everybody Sucks Here
  • NAH: No A**holes Here

Some found it ironic that the family wanted to be “family” now that the OP had money.

“NTA. You are an adult who bought a ticket so it’s YOUR MONEY, not ‘family money.'”

“They had no problem leaving you out on a ‘family vacation,’ so why would you include them now?”

“Simply tell them that your money is now invested and that you don’t have access to all the funds, you set up a distribution for a small amount yearly, etc. Say, ‘Sorry, I don’t have access to it freely. It’s setup to last you a lifetime,’ and then go on the SAME vacation they went on, but for twice as long! Enjoy your blessing!” – GGdoesntjudge

“When your ‘dad’ said, ‘That was different; this is family money,’ I would have said, ‘Yes, you’re right. For my family’s needs down the road. I’m investing in the future: my future spouse, my future kids, my future grandkids, rather than wasting money on the past. All of you represent the past.'”

“Say that to your ‘dad.'” – OpacusVenatori

“Your money is ‘family money’ but you weren’t allowed on a ‘family trip.'”

“In their minds, what’s theirs is theirs, and what’s yours is also theirs. Ditch them.” – RoadsideCouchCushion

“NTA. So when it’s for a family trip it’s not family money but when you get money it is family money? That’s some weird opportunistic logic there.” – Independent_Cookie

“Entitled, aren’t they? Sheesh, with family like that, who needs enemies?”

“Time to cut them all out and find your chosen family. Heck, with that kind of money, I’d move as far away from them as I could and cut all contact. Otherwise, they’ll be hounding you for handouts until they’ve bled you dry or lost your patience.”

“You weren’t ‘family’ before your winnings but suddenly you are and are now ‘obligated’ to them? H**l no. Go live your life and cut them all out.” – Weekly_Watercress505

Others pointed out that two million dollars wasn’t that much money in today’s economy.

“NTA. A girl I had gone to elementary school with won 13.9 m on the 649 in Canada.”

“She gave 500k to each sibling and their parents… They all came back to her for more… Three years later, the family is all split up. She’s living with his brother and he spent the rest of his half while she still had 200k left.”

“Don’t share or it won’t last long.” – Previous_Wedding_577

“Two million is not a lot, especially after taxes get taken out. Make sure to keep your investments locked and let the family know, ‘Sorry, too late, can’t take any out.'” – Crazy_Reader1234

“More than half of lottery winners are broke within five years, and the major reason is family leeching off of them.”

“If you break it down, two million is a lot of money, but it’s not exactly money that you can retire on right away. For starters, you need to pay more than half of that in taxes, so you’re only looking at slightly over a million. That’s a lot of money, but it needs to be invested properly.”

“NTA. I wouldn’t give a penny to those vultures.” – ElGato6666

“NTA.”

“Your brother’s demand to buy you a house is ridiculous. I understand the sister asking for help on loans but a house? That’s a no-no. Them asking you for money when they just went on a big trip without you, that’s a big no-no.”

“Two million is good money but you should still spend it wisely, which you are currently doing. Continue to do so and continue to say no when your family asks for money. That’s your money, not the family’s.”

“If you wanna be petty, buy your brother a dollhouse or a LEGO house.” – SockMaster9273

“Two million doesn’t go as far as some people might think, especially if you are talking about buying houses and paying off student debt, which is the US can be quite high.”

“OP can’t go on a family trip because that’s ‘family money.’ So not for OP, the lottery is family money? Logic needs to be taught in school more.” – Sammakko660

Some urged the OP to distance herself from her family as much as possible.

“Tell them, ‘No, it’s not family money. It is MY MONEY. I bought the ticket. I took the risk. These things were done with MY MONEY, not family money. You used family money to exclude me for years.'”

“‘That was fine in the past, so keep that same energy and keep excluding me. I don’t want s**t from y’all, and don’t ask me for s**t, either. You don’t get to abuse and neglect me with your emotional abandonment, and then demand I give you MY MONEY.'”

“Then go no contact. You deserve better.” – Wise_Monitor_Lizard

“NTA. GO FULL NO CONTACT. They are only trying to use you for that money. It’s yours, not theirs. After they’d use you all up, they’d forget you even exist all over again.” – irishpg86

“Your family will call you for money until it’s gone, then begin excluding you again. And they aren’t even asking you that nicely??!”

“Two million is a lot of money, congrats! But it’s not so much money that you should be buying homes for other people or paying off their debts. You are young, and you will need this money to fund your life and savings.”

“Don’t feel bad at all. Invest as much as you can and keep your family at a distance. Sad to say, but you can create your own family, and offer your kids a better dynamic than the one you grew up with.” – LastTie3457

“NTA. This isn’t family money; it’s your money. They have made it obvious that your money is more important than you are. Time for low or NO contact.” – suezyq520

“NTA. The family dynamic hinges on ignoring you. Why would you want to maintain that? Your family is delulu (delusional) at best and cruel at worst.”

“I am proud of you for making smart choices with your winnings. Do NOT give your family even a penny of it.” – beetree23

“Sounds like an arms-length relationship is required from now on. Or even better, a visible-as-a-tiny-speck-in-the-distance kind of relationship.”

“Be aware they won’t let this go. They will use this against you for a long long time. Keep your peace.”

“NTA.” – yakkerswasneverhere

“NTA. Send this to them as an email or text, and then cut contact.”

“‘Dear family, I find it sad that you can pick and choose when I am your family and when I am not. It seems I am only family when it suits you for me to be family, like when it doesn’t cost you anything or when you can get something out of me.”

“You didn’t invite me on the trip. You didn’t even say, ‘Hey, we can’t afford to take you, but if you can pay your way, please come.’ It was a complete exclusion.'”

“‘Now that I have money, I am supposed to just pretend you don’t repeatedly hurt me and give you my money? No, it doesn’t work like that.'”

“‘I’ll tell you what. You don’t have to pay anything for me again, and you can pretend you only have two children. I will not give you anything and will likewise pretend I don’t have a family.'” – SurroundMiserable262

The subReddit was shocked by the OP’s family’s audacity at not including her until it would benefit them the most. If they had really wanted the money, they’d have to start buying lottery tickets of their own, not suddenly pretending to care about someone they’ve often ignored.

Written by McKenzie Lynn Tozan

McKenzie Lynn Tozan has been a part of the George Takei family since 2019 when she wrote some of her favorite early pieces: Sesame Street introducing its first character who lived in foster care and Bruce Willis delivering a not-so-Die-Hard opening pitch at a Phillies game. She's gone on to write nearly 3,000 viral and trending stories for George Takei, Comic Sands, Percolately, and ÃœberFacts. With an unstoppable love for the written word, she's also an avid reader, poet, and indie novelist.