It’s not uncommon to picture your dream life within reach when buying a lottery ticket. After all, that’s probably the primary reason to do so. And despite the odds of winning being 1 in 292.2 million, people still hope they’ll take home the jackpot and have their lives changed. One winner’s new millionaire status, however, didn’t make so much as a dent in his daily life, according to one TikToker.
In a viral clip, a Twin Peaks server shares an anecdote of her days as a Hooters server. Jaiya (@piscesgwurl6) says the reason she’s “confident” when buying lottery tickets stems from an experience she had with a regular.
“He was 21 too, and he won $25 million,” Jaiya says. “I saw it myself in his bank account. He won $25 million.”
There are so many things one can do with $25 million, like buying 1.2 million Labubus (depending on the edition), or 42 Rolls-Royce Phantoms, or just a really nice house. You can even treat your entire family to a luxurious Eurotrip, with change left over.
For this Hooters customer, however, he did nothing even remotely close.
“The fun thing about him is he kept working at Amazon, and he did not tell his family a … thing,” Jaiya continues. “But he told us.”
According to her, he didn’t even tell his friends and simply kept his day job.
“I think about him all the time,” she concludes. “And I’m inspired by him to buy six of them … right now.”
What’s The Lottery Curse?
Many thought the Hooters regular avoided the dreaded “lottery’s curse” by not doing anything drastic. The social phenomenon is named after winners who end up squandering their winnings within a short period. In a Time article from 2016, an expert shared how many who win the lottery end up experiencing personal tragedies, like divorce or suicide.
The article cited a report from the National Endowment for Financial Education that “about 70 percent of people who suddenly receive a windfall of cash will lose it within a few years.”
However, in a 2018 article, the same news outlet debunked this “data.” It stated that the previous report was a misconception.
“In January 2018, the National Endowment for Financial Education set the record straight and said that statistic was not backed up by any of their research,” the Time piece stated.
Still, several users in Jaiya’s comments section applauded the guy for avoiding the “lottery winner’s curse.”
“The fact he kept working after winning so much lets me know he will not be one of many who end up blowing all that money, good for him,” one user commented. “Hope he tipped you really well.”
Jaiya confirmed that he always “took care” of her and her co-workers.
“He did it right!” a second user wrote. Several shared how they don’t blame him for choosing to keep his win a secret.
“I wouldn’t tell my family a single thing either,” a viewer commented. Another, however, shared that while they wouldn’t tell their friends and family, they’d “never work a job again.”
@piscesgwurl6 feeling lucky idk LMAOO #powerball
BroBible reached out to Jaiya via TikTok direct message.