Tag Archives: winner
Facebook Removes Fake Page of S. Dakota Powerball Winner
Facebook Removes Fake Page of S. Dakota Powerball Winner
Recently a South Dakota rancher who had fallen on hard times won the Powerball lottery. Neal Wanless, the winner, will walk away with $88 million after taxes. The big win received extensive press coverage. It was reported that the Wanless family had a mobile home repossessed and that the family couldn’t afford a phone. Mr. Wanless displayed a great amount of humility about his new found fortune vowing not to squander his winnings and promised to help those in the community who had supported the Wanless family during hard times.
It has been reported that someone using Wanless’s name set up a facebook page using his name. The profile using Wanless’s name quickly acquired 120 ‘friends.’ The Facebook page used the big winner’s real name and featured a picture of a cowboy riding into the sunset. On the information page was, “Looking For: Dating.” So far Powerball winner Wanless has issued no statement regarding the fake Facebook page. Facebook spokesman Simon Axten said the page has been disabled because it violates
Facebook’s terms and policies. Axten further stated, “Facebook has always been based on a real-name culture. We think this leads to greater accountability and a safer and more trusted environment for our users. It’s a violation of our policies to use a fake name or operate under another person’s identity, and we encourage users to report anyone they think is doing this, either through the report links we provide on the site or through the contact forms on our Help page.”
Before the page was shut down many well wishers had posted messages. One message read, “Must be nice! Being a single mom of 3 kids, I could definitely use a lottery win right now”¦ maybe then I could actually afford a house ¦ keep on dreaming right?”
Facebook spokesman Axten said he could not comment on the possibility of charges against the person who set up the fake page but said the company generally does not press charges for fake pages. So far Powerball winner Wanless seems to be taking his big win in stride. Neighbors of Wanless have no doubt that he will fulfill his promise to pay the community back for their generosity towards his family during troubled times.
Computer technology could very well affect the way lotteries do business in the near future. Several states are considering moves that would make the sale of online lottery tickets legal. Players will be able to log on to state lottery websites and make an online lottery purchase. Cash strapped states hope to fill state coffers with new lottery money by combining lotteries with 21st century technology.
Some People Have Too Much Luck!
Some People Have Too Much Luck!
For those of us who struggle with day to day expenses and must budget down to the last penny the lottery offers us the chance to dream of wealth and leisure. We plunk down our dollars every week in hopes we will be the ones to win a life free of financial woes. Recently there was a story about a lottery winner that is sure to raise the ire of the average Joe who plays the lottery.
The New York State Lottery recently added a scratch off game offering the largest jackpot in the history of the New York State Lottery. Lottery tickets are pricey ($30) but the jackpot is a cool million dollars a year for life. After taxes a winner’s earnings add up to about $674,000 a year for life.
Of course we all hope an average Joe will win the lottery but the most recent winner is sure to raise the ire of all those average Joes out there. The first person to win the Million Dollar for Life lottery is already a multi millionaire! As if that isn’t bad enough the winner is not a US citizen and thanks to an agreement between the UK and the US, Keenan Atunis will not have to pay the taxes that a US citizen would have to pay. Keenan Atunis was born in Turkey but raised in the U.S and is currently working in England for Unicredit.
Atunis who was in the US for a family gathering gave his mother $100 to buy some of the $30 a ticket game cards. He stated that the recent turmoil in the stock market put him in the frame of mind to take a chance on increasing his fortunes. In what can only be called understatement he said he does not expect winning the lottery to change his life very much. Some people have too much luck!
Like it or not Mr. Atunis won the jackpot fair and square. The chief objection to his big win is probably the fact that he will pay no taxes while US winners are taxed at almost 50%. If Atunis had played the UK national lottery he could have bought online lottery tickets instead of relying on a third party to purchase the lotto tickets. UK lottery players have been able to make an online lottery purchase for years and the move has been wildly popular among British lotto players. UK players can also play several other European lotteries and best of all-US players are accepted.