A woman won the $560 million lotto jackpot, but she can’t collect it because she refuses to announce her name to the world
Winning millions of dollar in the lottery is a big deal. So big that you might not even want the entire world to know you’ve won it. And one woman in New Hampshire is fighting for the right to stay anonymous after reportedly winning around $560 million dollars — and it’s actually harder than she imagined.
Apparently, a lottery winner’s name, town, and amount won are all public information under New Hampshire state law. Meaning everyone — from your next-door neighbor to your employer to your estranged cousin Sally — suddenly knows personal information about your finances.
The woman — known only as “Jane Doe” in public court documents — could have technically signed the money over to a trust that didn’t have her name on it, which would have enabled her to stay anonymous. However, she didn’t know that before she signed her actual name on the ticket when she went to redeem her winnings.
Jane Doe describes herself as a key member of her community and said she had planned to use part of the winnings to give back and donate to charities. However, she doesn’t want the notoriety that all too often comes with large lotto wins.
“She wishes to continue this work and the freedom to walk into a grocery store or attend public events without being known or targeted as the winner of a half-billion dollars,” her complaint read, according to Time. “She wishes to remain in New Hampshire and give back to the state and community that has given so much to her.”
We feel for Jane Doe and hope this gets settled in her favor. Everyone should have the right to their privacy.