Father Turns Son’s Lottery Prize Into a Bigger Fund, Causing Family Dispute

In a story that will surely stir up some debate, one father shines a light on the very tricky issue of what to do with lottery winnings when your family is involved. He purchased lottery tickets for his family six years ago, and his then-17-year-old son’s ticket won $60k: claiming the winnings because he bought the ticket, he pledged to set aside the money in his sons’ college funds, but did buy a few treats for the family ‘in the meantime.’ The father put his winnings to good use and invested them over the years, building the fund up to $100k.

When the firstborn son, Sam, was college-bound, he pulled $30k from the fund to pay for tuition. But there was a catch, the other $40k now has become a bone of contention between the father and his wife. The father claimed that he had done the work in growing the fund and that the excess ought to be his, while the mother contended that the full $100k belonged to their son, because the original winnings were from his ticket. The father wondered if he’s selfish or practical because of the disagreement.