A lottery winner has sparked a heated family dispute over a “selfish” act by refusing to share her jackpot with her brother.
The woman detailed how she recently won a “small” lottery prize, enough to pay off her student loans and treat herself to some things she had wanted for years.
But now he’s in a fix after his brother started demanding he buy him a new car upon finding out about his winnings.
“My brother, who has been struggling financially, found out about my win and immediately started asking me to help him with his bills and even buy him a new car,” she said in a Reddit thread.
‘I want to help him, but I also feel like I’ve worked hard to earn this money and I want to enjoy it myself.
“I told him I would consider giving him a small gift, but not a handout.”
However, his gesture did not sit well with his brother.
“Now they’re upset and saying I’m being selfish,” he explained.
A lottery winner sparked a family dispute over a “selfish” act by refusing to split her jackpot with a brother (file image)
“I really want to help, but I also don’t want to feel obligated to support them.”
She asked online if she was a ‘moron’ for wanting to keep most of her lottery winnings.
Many agreed with his decision not to share his money with his “regular” brother.
‘Paying off your student loans is a good idea. The brother has the right. A small gift and dinner would be reasonable. Ordering a car is not. If you start helping with the bills now, they will keep waiting for you,” said one.
“It’s perfectly fine to admit that you have your own plans for your money… You could say that Santa Claus might be generous at Christmas to those who don’t act spoiled or entitled… but Santa Claus won’t buy anyone a car ‘, suggested another.
‘It’s understandable that you want to enjoy the fruits of your hard work and treat yourself after winning the lottery. “While it’s nice to want to help your brother, you’re not obligated to share your earnings, especially if you feel like they’re expecting a handout instead of asking for support in a healthy way,” one added.
Some suggested that he should pay off his debts and invest the rest, while others argued that he deserved to keep all the money because he “worked hard” to earn it and spent his “hard-earned money on lottery tickets.”
Many pointed out that he should never have told anyone, not even his family, about his lottery win.
‘You’re not the idiot. But that’s why you don’t tell anyone when you make money,” one of them said.
‘Has your brother ever offered to split the cost of non-winning lottery tickets you bought? Because if you didn’t want to share the costs, you won’t get any rewards. “You’re not an idiot except you shouldn’t have told anyone about your win,” another shared.
It is unclear how much money the woman made.
But one parent suggested, “If it came down to paying off their student loans, buying a new car, and still having $100,000 left over, I would want my kids to help each other, as long as they have a good relationship.”