How to protect your money, privacy and yourself if you win Powerball; Guardian, 1/13/16

Suzanne McGee, Guardian; How to protect your money, privacy and yourself if you win Powerball:

"Most of those who buy lottery tickets on a regular basis – and those like me who pick up tickets when the jackpots get really, really big – tend to spend their time thinking about how to spend the money.

Should we win, however, we need to start at the other end of the spectrum, and start thinking about how to protect both our money and ourselves. Because there are some truly ugly statistics out there showing that 70% of lottery winners end up losing it all: some blow through all their money and end up destitute, while others end up losing their lives, even being murdered for their riches.

The first tip: do whatever you can to protect your privacy.

This may not be much. In many cases, the good folks at Powerball have the right to splash your name and image, clutching one of those giant faux cheques, across media organizations worldwide. So you’d better be prepared.

Here’s how."