Mark Lipsham had his life changed forever back in 2017 when he won big (£17 million; equivalent to slightly more than $20 million) in the Powerball lottery in Auckland, New Zealand. That much money can be beneficial to one’s life, as long as you can keep a level head. Here’s a brief look into an article that was run by the UK SUN about the driver’s fight to keep his fortune.
The lottery curse is a real thing
The “lottery curse” is something that seems to hit those that win big bucks and can’t handle the change in lifestyle. We see it in lotto winners, athletes that sign big contracts, and start-up entrepreneurs.
Lipsham was 53 years old when he struck it big, and as you would guess, he turned in his keys the next day. He had a lot of money “burning a hole in his pocket,” and was ready to spend it.
“I found that very hard and it led me to a place of problems – problems with myself because I wasn‘t operating how I always operated.” – Mark Lipsham in an interview with the UK Sun
Lipsham fell into a depression; the sudden change of lifestyle caused a shock to the Army veteran. He had joined the Army at 19 and served for nine years. After that, he became a truck driver, working at a road construction company. Every day had a form of order for him, but not after he became a millionaire.
Beware of false prophets, and false profits
In 2019, a neighbor had a strange recommendation for Lipsham – to visit a clairvoyant. Yeah, not exactly who I would have wanted handling my money, but for some reason, Lipsham went with her.
It took seven months for Lipsham to realize his mistake, along with nearly half his winnings. Lipsham had also signed over (for some reason) his financial and legal affairs to Linda Helmbright, the “clairvoyant” in question.
Lipsham slowly started to depend on Helmbright for everything, from healthcare choices to buying a house. That’s where £2.3 million of his fortune was going, but not for Lipsham to live in.
After some back and forth, Lipsham hired a friend he met at a car show to do some detective work. The investigator confirmed Lipsham’s fears – he had been conned.
A court fight soon began, with false contracts and financial fraud being thrown about. The case ended in undisclosed settlement, but Lipsham is now profiting as he should be.
The friend-turned-investigator is now his business partner, running a successful investment portfolio that has doubled Lipsham’s original winnings.
Take this as a lesson to always be mindful of who you trust as a partner. There are crooks – and good people – out in the world. Always research who you plan to let handle your assets.
Read more by Rooster and follow me here! Need to reach out to me, send me an email!
Sign up for the Back The Truck Up Newsletter!
Listen to the Back The Truck Up Podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and Google Podcasts!
