Winning in a lottery takes a shot out of 14 million chances. In much simpler terms, you’re most likely to get hit by lightning than win the lottery in your whole lifetime. Some people just get so lucky and Marie Holmes is one of these few people who took the chance and won.
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Marie Holmes was only 26 years old when she won $188 million in the lottery! The money couldn’t have arrived at a better moment in her life as a single mother of four. However, more money can also imply more troubles. Marie’s life since her great win hasn’t been easy as she had to handle family feuds, lawsuits, and stardom.
A Hardworking Mom Of Four
At the age of 26, Marie has been taking care of four wonderful children alone. She struggles to work two different jobs in order to support her family. Diligently, she works at McDonald’s and Walmart just to make ends meet.
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Just when we think that raising four kids and working two jobs at a time is hard enough, life surprises us with more. Things became more challenging when she learned that one of her children has cerebral palsy. It shattered her because she knew that the child’s needs will make it hard for her and for everyone because she wouldn’t be able to provide for her family and be there for each one of her children.
The Ticket To Success
With everything that’s happening in her life, she was forced to quit her job and focus on taking care of the welfare of her children. If there’s a person who needed the winning ticket, it was definitely Marie. She needed the money to supply their needs and have a comfortable life.
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Even though she didn’t really have money to spare, she took the chance. She grabbed a ticket from a local gasoline station and hoped for the best. After picking up the ticket, she headed home, and little did she know, there was a surprise waiting for her to discover.
Marie Became A Multi-Millionaire Overnight
It’s the adrenaline rush you get while you’re trying to figure out if you’ve finally won the lottery that makes it so thrilling. Marie almost had a heart attack from the excitement of finding out. Marie, however, defied the odds as things took an unexpected turn.
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That’s because as she looked at the numbers, she realized she had won! At 26-years-old, Marie’s life was about to change forever. She had won millions of dollars! Little did Marie know, she wasn’t the only one who had the winning numbers. And so she will have to split the prize with two other people.
A Choice To Make, Lump-Sum Or 30-Year Installment?
Once lottery winners have been validated, they must choose between receiving a lump sum payment or receiving payments over the course of 30 years. While taking the entire sum of money may be beneficial for investments, paying it in installments ensures that the enormous fortune lasts.
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The other catch is that the lump sum payment isn’t as much as it appears. However, with smart ways of investing the money, taking the lump sum may become more beneficial than choosing to have a 30-year installment plan of getting the money in full amount.
Claiming The Prize Money Through Lump Sum
Marie chose the lump sum payment option, which totaled $127 million after all deductions. The fortune remained huge, but there was one more item to deduct. As responsible citizens of their state, they are to pay taxes for the money that they are entitled to.
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Apparently, the state alone would take a total of 6% of the total winning prize. On top of that, the federal government would take up to 30% out of it, depending on the bracket that she fell into. However, despite these deductions and lengthy processes, the money that she will be getting would still be enough to change their lives.
Marie Wanted Her Children To Learn A Lesson
Being so independent for all these years, Marie knew how hard life was. While she was able to juggle working two jobs while taking care of her kids and making sure that they are well-provided even if it means that she has nothing left for herself, some people can’t do that. She knew she had to donate a portion of her winnings to struggling families.
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The first thing on Marie’s mind was her children. Ever since she brought them into this world, she wanted nothing but the best for them. She told NBC, “All the struggle that I ever went through, it was all for them. I want them to understand that money doesn’t change you, but it can help you.”
The Struggles Of Handling A Huge Amount Of Money
Taking the lump sum is a risky choice. Especially when we do not have any experience in handling our finances well. One wrong choice and you can see the money flying out through the window. We can be overwhelmed by how much we have that we forget how to be wise in using our resources.
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Marie didn’t want her good fortune to affect who she was as a person, but she knew she’d have to learn how to deal with it. Anyone familiar with money understands how quickly lottery-won money can vanish. It’s usually a good idea to get a financial advisor right away.
The Start Of Her Financial Strain
While getting a financial advisor to help her manage her finances was a great idea, Marie had more important and urgent matters that she had to tend to. One of these issues is about her boyfriend who got imprisoned for substance charges. Marie decided to get her boyfriend out right there and then!
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She paid a total of $3 million to get her boyfriend, Lamar McDow, out from jail. However, months later, Lamar landed in jail again. This time, Marie had to pay $6 million to get him out. And for the third time when he got arrested, Marie had to pay a total of $12 million for his bond.
A New “Home Sweet Home”
Lamar denies that Marie spent a total of $21 million on him and his bails. He says that it was only a fraction of the presented amount. Either way, she spent way too much for her first home. Apparently, she spent approximately $350,000.
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After all the deductions and the taxes, Marie had $88 million to her name. However, even with the huge amount she had to spend for bailing out Lamarr, she still had enough money to pay for other things that mattered. Using the money that she had won from the lottery, she could do so much for her and her family.
One Big Happy Family
Marie and Lamarr lived most of their lives in her trailer home. And so, when Marie bought a house, he moved in with her. The couple has a child together and they were reunited by the fortune that was brought into their family.
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While some questioned Marie’s financial decisions, Lamarr defended her choice. “We are a relationship, and I am the father of her youngest child,” he told the Daily Mail. This is how people help one another.” Lamarr went on to say that he would do the same thing for her.
Lamarr And His Expensive Gifts
Marie did not only exhaust her fortune to bail Lamarr out of prison and gave him a place to stay. She also bought him a diamond-encrusted Rolex that costs $15,000. And more surprisingly, she even gave Lamarr the funds he needed in order to start his own business.
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When Marie won the lottery, it was not only Lamarr who expected something from her. All of her friends and family knew about the great news and expected from her as well. Some even asked Marie for their “share” of her winning money.
The Neighborhood Disapproval
The couple did not come from a wealthy family and did not have a remarkable background. When they moved into their new neighborhood, there was an immediate clash. Their neighbors did not approve of the couple since they are not as wealthy and as respectable as them.
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One neighbor went quite far when she decided to have a security camera that was facing Marie’s house. Lamarr told the Daily Mail, “If I was driving down the road and going at the speed limit, they would wave at me for going too fast. They did not want us there.”
Sharing Her Blessings
For someone who knows how hard it is to survive without having anything in life, Marie knew she had to do something. She had to share the blessings that were given to her in order to help more people. It was decided that she will be giving a portion of her winnings to Pleasant Hill Missionary Baptist Church since she has been going there for quite some time now.
She decided to commit 10% of her winning to the charity. She started doing this by donating a total of $700,000 to the church. Marie’s decision to help the church did not go to waste as she was able to help in renovating and repairing the church to cater to more people.
An opportunistic Pastor
Marie got the attention of a pastor who wasn’t affiliated in any way to her church. Kevin Matthews said that he was led to Marie for a divine reason. The pastor soon became close to Marie and provided them with personalized sessions as to how they will be able to become better individuals.
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Pastor Kevin also encouraged Lamarr to become a better partner and a father to Marie’s children. However, it came to a point wherein the pastor asked Marie to give him a total amount of $1.5 million to attend a retreat. He also claimed that Marie agreed to this verbally.
Lawsuit Out Of A Disagreement
In the end, Pastor Kevin paid for the retreat himself. However, he still held Marie responsible for the amount he spent. According to him, Marie agreed to pay for the retreat. When Marie didn’t agree with this, he told the public that he will be taking legal actions in relation to their situation.
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Aside from the $1.5 million that Pastor Kevin was demanding from Marie, he also felt entitled to $10 million. The amount is a little more than the 10% of Marie’s winning money after all the deductions and her taxes. Apparently, things got messier when Pastor Kevin provided a recorded phone call with Marie’s accountant.
A Conversation With The Accountant
Dexter Perry was Marie’s accountant. He was encharged with handling Marie’s finances and making sure that she is making wise choices in terms of handling her money. Apparently, Pastor Kevin said that he had a phone call with Marie’s accountant
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According to the recorded phone conversation, Perry stated, “I definitely understand the urgency in terms of your land purchase and people calling you,”. Apparently, they were referring to a piece of land that Kevin bought for the retreat. However, he felt like someone from the family changed Marie’s mind about the offer.
Emotional Ruckus
Marie’s aunt, Carmel Wheaton, confronted Pastor Kevin and said they were no longer interested in financing his retreat, according to EURweb. Similarly, he stated that Lamarr chimed in to urge that the pastor should let the deal go because it wasn’t in writing.
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Pastor Kevin felt like he was a victim of the situation that he was in. He even told EURWeb, “Because of the emotional distress and mental stress, they put me through, I had to start taking more medicine for anxiety and depression due to this situation.”
Marie Was Able To Get The Public’s Sympathy
People who followed the story are not convinced that Marie owed Pastor Kevin that great sum of money. Whether or not a verbal agreement is considered as a piece of substantial evidence in court, the public had already made up its mind.
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A Youtuber dedicated his channel to publishing a series of videos that criticizes Pastor Kevin and his claims regarding the amount of money. Because the litigation didn’t seem to be going anywhere, lawyers may have been wary of it. Even his attorney’s name was withheld by the pastor.
More Twists For Marie’s Life
When issues with Pastor Kevin started to fade out to the background, life took a sharp turn. A video surfaced online from a certain Lorna Marlowe, a woman who claimed that Lamarr was being unfaithful to Marie. She spilled a lot of information that made a huge impact on Marie.
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Lamarr should be faithful and thankful for everything Marie did for him, right? Well, that’s not how it seems. Lorna claimed that Lamarr was taking Marie’s money and distributing it to some of his other girlfriends. It was one thing to learn the news, but it was quite another to share it with the rest of the world.
The Need For An Intervention
After everything that she went through, she knew it was time to ask for help. She decided to go to an Oprah Winfrey Network show Iyanla, Fix My Life. Marie thought that the media attention that she got from the issues that she had to face was draining and it destroyed her.
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The show focuses on how Iyanla Vanzant, a life coach, helps people solve their internal conflicts and other personal struggles. Iyanla is also a renowned author with best-selling pieces, a motivational speaker, and a relationship expert. And so, its best to say that she was who Marie needed at that very moment.
Bringing A Secret Out In The Open
Ever since Iyanla started her show, her goal is for the truth to come out. That’s exactly what happened when she brought Marie’s mom, Fontella, into the show and focused an episode about her and her secret.
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Fontella later revealed that she was the one who picked the winning numbers. She based it on Marie’s late brother, who she’s been dreaming about for a couple of times now. For some reason, Fontella was able to pick numbers while letting Marie think that they were nothing but mere “random” numbers.
She’s A Better Mom Than I Am
And Since it was Fontella who picked the numbers, technically, it was her win. However, she kept quiet because she wanted Marie to have the life she wasn’t able to have and provide for her children. She made Marie believe that it was just a random win.
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Fontella confessed in an emotional episode that she would do it all over again and that she sacrificed so that Marie can have a chance to be a better mother than she was. Despite the fact that their relationship had been difficult in the past, their deed of love spoke loudly.
Unsatisfied Relatives
While the scene between Marie and Fontella appeared to be a storybook-like ending at first, it rapidly devolved. The public exchange between the mother and daughter had been witnessed by several of Marie’s family, leading to conjecture and allegations.
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Some family members thought that the lottery jackpot didn’t belong to Marie after all, but rather to Fontella. Despite the fact that Fontella said that the money should go to Marie, others speculated that the winner had stolen the ticket from her mother. These speculations arose despite the fact that Fontella willingly gave the numbers to Marie.
Lamarr To Serve Prison Time
Just when you think that Marie’s life couldn’t get more twisted, the jackpot winner received still more terrible news during her visit on Iyana, Fix My Life. Lamarr was returning to prison, this time for a longer period of time. It was yet another drug-related accusation, and Marie had no intention of bailing him out.
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After everything that he has done for his ex-partner, he still showed why Marie didn’t deserve her. It’s about time that she move on and focus her energy somewhere else.
Marie Holmes Foundation
Now that she has her money all to herself without obligations to Lamarr nor Pastor Kevin, Marie has the full capability to decide what she will be doing to her money. She still wanted to push through with the 10% tithe but she had other plans.
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The lottery winner chose to donate $9.7 million to the Marie Holmes Foundation, which focuses on assisting underprivileged children. Her charity holds activities to help individuals in need. She chose to do this because as a child, she knew how it felt not to have someone help her and heavily rely on other people.
Giving Back Matters More
Marie Holmes Foundation was a perfect example of Marie going full circle and giving back to individuals she can relate to. She utilizes the organization to conduct school supply and toy giveaways, especially around the holidays.
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While winning the lotto was difficult at times, being able to support families like hers made it all worthwhile. Marie was able to serve others in a way that was very meaningful to her. She has been through a lot and it’s amazing that her heart is still all about helping other people.
Another Lawsuit To Tend To?
When Lamarr went to prison for the fourth time around, Marie decided that enough had been enough. She was patient, understanding, and generous to someone who did not deserve to have her like that. They officially broke up with each other. However, when Lamarr was able to get out of prison years later, he filed a lawsuit against Marie.
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The same man who’d been defending Marie against a lawsuit brought by Pastor Kevin did the exact same thing for the exact same reason. Lamarr is accusing Marie of “breaching her fiduciary duties” by giving away the items she purchased him and that’s according to The News&Observer.
Million Dollar Gifts For Lamarr
Marie allegedly purchased him more than a million dollars in assets, which she later sold, according to Lamarr. A $250,000 Chevy Stingray, two $125,000 dump trucks, a $600,000 automotive business, an $80,000 77-acre dirt bike course, and $100,000 in clothing and jewelry are among the items.
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It also turns out that they even have plans to get married and build a life together. In fact, Marie gave birth to their second daughter while Lamarr was in prison. He would’ve been so lucky if he took Marie seriously and loved her in ways that she should’ve been loved.
Marie Is Finally Ready For The Next Chapters To Unfold
Apparently, Lamarr discovered Marie was seeing someone new after they split up. He also learned that she had given away some of the goods she had purchased for him and that the car business had closed. Everything that was given to her by Marie became nothing but a sole memory.
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Lamarr is suing for more than $25,000 in damages, but Marie’s attorneys have already pointed out several flaws in his claim. Whatever occurs, Marie may use this experience to learn something new. Her experience demonstrates that money does not fix all issues, and in fact, it might aggravate them.