Post's own brother hired a hit-man in attempt to kill him
In what sounds like a real-life action thriller, debt, shotguns, hit men and lawsuits were the gifts William Post treated himself to with the money from a $16.2 million lottery win in 1988.
Post managed to fall into bankruptcy, and when he pulled himself out of it, he spent the remaining million he still had free. His terror of paying his dues caused him to fire a shotgun at a man who tried to collect a car-repair debt, which led to him being convicted with assault.
But in his sorrowful post-lottery days, Post became the victim as well as the culprit. His brother tried to hire a hit man to assassinate him and his wife, and his landlady sued him for a cut of the winnings, claiming that they had agreed to split the reward.
And perhaps most tragically, Post had bought a twin-engine plane, but had not acquired the license to fly it. So much for a sure-fire way to escape.