# Man wins lottery, keeps it secret, divorces wife **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 3, 2004, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-wins-lottery-keeps-it-secret-divorces-wife/238108 "2004-04-03T22:53:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2004, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-wins-lottery-keeps-it-secret-divorces-wife/238108/1 "2004-04-03T22:53:43Z")
From [this](http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1080957720556_76366920/?hub=CTVNewsAt11) site: A man wins $30 million in a lottery, waits almost a year to claim it, and in the meantime, attempts to divorce his wife (it’s unclear at this point if the divorce was legal or not, since she didn’t sign the papers), who knows nothing about his winnings. When interviewed about his winnings, he claims that he is single, and that he waited to claim the money because he “didn’t tell a soul as he chose not to “do anything rash.” “Due to the magnitude of it, I just wanted to make sure I did everything right and try to remain calm about it,” Raymond Sobeski, of the town of Princeton near Brantford, Ont., told a news conference yesterday.” (from [this](http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/CalgarySun/News/2004/04/02/405351.html) site.) He has now left the country. When asked what he’s going to do with the money, he says he will give some of it to his parents and siblings. No mention of the two kids he has with yet another ex-wife. I just wanted to share this with y’all. I’m not steamed enough about it to open a Pit thread; it just looks mighty fishy, the timing and all. When he gets back into Canada, he’s going to have a couple of ex-wives and their lawyers waiting for him. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2004, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-wins-lottery-keeps-it-secret-divorces-wife/238108/2 "2004-04-03T23:06:26Z")
I suspect there’s a judge in the Family Court who’s going to have a number of things to say to this guy, too. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2004, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-wins-lottery-keeps-it-secret-divorces-wife/238108/3 "2004-04-03T23:14:06Z")
What a skunk! :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2004, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-wins-lottery-keeps-it-secret-divorces-wife/238108/4 "2004-04-04T02:10:22Z")
It’s been tried before. I remember a news story about someone doing the exact same thing a few years ago. I don’t remember any details, but the judge did find out and penalized the guy extra hard for it. But not this guy, he’s too smart for that. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2004, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-wins-lottery-keeps-it-secret-divorces-wife/238108/5 "2004-04-04T02:34:18Z")
Yeah someone did that, it was just in People magazine on a story about lottery winners (hey, I was at the dentist! Give me a break!) They said he or she’d been found guilty of fraud for withholding the lottery winnings, and the ex-spouse got every cent. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@The\_Tim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tim)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2004, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-wins-lottery-keeps-it-secret-divorces-wife/238108/6 "2004-04-04T02:53:59Z")
Not that this guy isn’t an ass, but why would a spouse be entitled to your lotto winnings if you got a divorce? It isn’t like they had anything to do with you getting the money, unless they had some sort of real claim to the ticket in another way or helped you win the lotto in a concrete manner. I can understand the logic, as it has been explained to me, about income but I don’t see how lotto winnings fits in with that. ---
**Author:** ![woodstock989](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f05b48/32.png) [@woodstock989](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstock989)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2004, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-wins-lottery-keeps-it-secret-divorces-wife/238108/7 "2004-04-04T02:54:01Z")
Yes -that would be fraud, because he/she didn’t disclose it in the divorce. I’m certainly no legal expert, but don’t you have to disclose all your assets during a divorce? ---
**Author:** ![Gut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@Gut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gut)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2004, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-wins-lottery-keeps-it-secret-divorces-wife/238108/8 "2004-04-04T03:07:35Z")
> [@featherlou](#): > > When he gets back into Canada, he’s going to have a couple of ex-wives and their lawyers waiting for him. I’d be surprised if he is planning on coming back for exactly that reason. What a jerk. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2004, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-wins-lottery-keeps-it-secret-divorces-wife/238108/9 "2004-04-04T03:49:22Z")
> [@The Tim](#): > > Not that this guy isn’t an ass, but why would a spouse be entitled to your lotto winnings if you got a divorce? It isn’t like they had anything to do with you getting the money, unless they had some sort of real claim to the ticket in another way or helped you win the lotto in a concrete manner. I can understand the logic, as it has been explained to me, about income but I don’t see how lotto winnings fits in with that. He’s gambling with _their_ money. If he gambles and loses, she’s poorer for it. For all we know, _she_ was the breadwinner in the family. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2004, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-wins-lottery-keeps-it-secret-divorces-wife/238108/10 "2004-04-04T04:10:37Z")
> [@The Tim](#): > > Not that this guy isn’t an ass, but why would a spouse be entitled to your lotto winnings if you got a divorce? It isn’t like they had anything to do with you getting the money, unless they had some sort of real claim to the ticket in another way or helped you win the lotto in a concrete manner. I can understand the logic, as it has been explained to me, about income but I don’t see how lotto winnings fits in with that. Maybe she would, and maybe she wouldn’t, but a judge is supposed to examine the circumstances of the matter and make a decision over who is entitled to what, if anything. By deliberately concealing his marriage from lottery officials and his winnings from his spouse and the courts, he’s committing fraud. As noted by other posters, this has happened before (although I thought it was a woman trying to shaft her ex-husband) After doing a little googlig, I came across [this site.](http://www.divorcesource.com/research/edj/division/99dec133.shtml) I don’t know how accurate it is, but it seems to have some interesting (and relevant) info. > [@](#): > > During the divorce proceedings, however, the wife never disclosed that she had a winning lottery ticket. The court consequently divided the parties’ assets without reference to the lottery winnings. After the divorce was final, the wife claimed her winnings. Upon learning of the wife’s windfall, the husband moved to set aside the decree of divorce. The trial court granted the husband’s motion on the basis of the wife’s fraud and thereupon awarded 100% of the winnings to the husband. The wife plans on appealing the decision. > > … > > There is little doubt that if a lottery ticket is purchased during the marriage, prior to separation, the lottery winnings are classified as “marital property” in equitable distribution dual classification states and as “community property” in community property states. > > … > > In the vast majority of cases, the court divided the lottery proceeds equally, rejecting the argument occasionally raised that the person who had purchased the ticket made an “extraordinary contribution” warranting an unequal division. > > … > > While there appears to be an informal presumption of a 50/50 split, the rule is certainly not hard and fast. ---
**Author:** ![Intent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5e9695/32.png) [@Intent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intent)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2004, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-wins-lottery-keeps-it-secret-divorces-wife/238108/11 "2004-04-04T04:30:44Z")
He wins the lottery. Just won $30 million dollars, for basically no work except buying a ticket. Even if it gets cut in half, isn’t $15 million enough? I would be thrilled to win $100k, much less several million. It just seems stupidly greedy to me. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2004, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-wins-lottery-keeps-it-secret-divorces-wife/238108/12 "2004-04-04T05:31:07Z")
He seems a strange fellow from all accounts I’ve read of him - in one article, they talk about the house that people _think_ he lived in. Seems nobody in town actually knows this guy or where he lives. One article also mentions that his current (or most recent ex-) wife and he never actually lived together. Just gets stranger and stranger. I wonder too if he’s coming back into the country any time soon. Screw the ex-wives and kids - I’m in the money! ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2004, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-wins-lottery-keeps-it-secret-divorces-wife/238108/13 "2004-04-04T05:41:49Z")
> [@The Tim](#): > > Not that this guy isn’t an ass, but why would a spouse be entitled to your lotto winnings if you got a divorce? It isn’t like they had anything to do with you getting the money, unless they had some sort of real claim to the ticket in another way or helped you win the lotto in a concrete manner. I can understand the logic, as it has been explained to me, about income but I don’t see how lotto winnings fits in with that. In most Canadian provinces, matrimonial property laws state that both spouses have an interest in property acquired by either spouse during the course of the marriage. It’s not tied to whether the property is classed as income for income tax purposes. Exactly what will happen here will depend on the individual facts, and the above comment should not be construed as legal advice, simply as a comment on a matter of public interest. ---
**Author:** ![Beauty\_Personified](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e480ec/32.png) [@Beauty\_Personified](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beauty_Personified)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2004, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-wins-lottery-keeps-it-secret-divorces-wife/238108/14 "2004-04-04T11:37:40Z")
What if he could prove that he didn’t know he had won until after the divorce? He misplaced the ticket and forgot about it (or looked for it but couldn’t find it) and never knew he had won. (I’ve heard of winning tickets being sold and never reclaimed more than a few times.) Then almost a year later, he finds it inside the torn lining of an old coat. From the sounds of it, this guy is simply a greedy bastid, IMO. But, if he had been smart enough, he could have set things up like that, and hoped everyone would believe him when he does “find” the ticket and claim his prize. Anyhoo… ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2004, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-wins-lottery-keeps-it-secret-divorces-wife/238108/15 "2004-04-04T16:43:13Z")
My recollection is that the news reports quoted him as saying he checked it at a lotto booth a couple of weeks after the draw, got a print-out confirming the numbers, and kept the print-out and the ticket in a safety box for a year. In any event, that might be a response to an argument that he concealed info from his wife in the divorce proceedings, but I would think his right to the winnings vested during the marriage and so would be marital property. At least, that’s what I’d argue if I represented the wife… ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2004, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-wins-lottery-keeps-it-secret-divorces-wife/238108/16 "2004-04-04T21:46:44Z")
I saw a news report which said that Sobeski had never lived with his wife, and that alone was enough cause to consider them legally separated, meaning that the wife wouldn’t have any claim to the money. Or something like that - the lawyer on screen didn’t seem too interested in actually explaining anything. As for the first wife, he is divorced from her, and while I think he should definitely spend money on his kids, I don’t think he has any legal obligation to. Assuming he is paying child support as needed, why should more cash for him mean more for her? I got the impression that he’s looked all this over with a lawyer, and that the issuing of divorce papers to his second wife was a formality - they were pretty much separated anyways. Or maybe he’s just a greedy bastard. It certainly does happen! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@The\_Tim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tim)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2004, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-wins-lottery-keeps-it-secret-divorces-wife/238108/17 "2004-04-04T22:18:30Z")
Ok thanks to those who answered my questions, that makes as much sense as anything else I’ve heard about divorce law. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-wins-lottery-keeps-it-secret-divorces-wife/238108/18 "2004-04-05T05:26:56Z")
> [@mnemosyne](#): > > As for the first wife, he is divorced from her, and while I think he should definitely spend money on his kids, **I don’t think he has any legal obligation to.** Assuming he is paying child support as needed, why should more cash for him mean more for her? Sure he does. Under Canadian child support laws, both parents have a legal obligation to support their children. As well, the child support laws are based on ability to pay: if your net worth/income goes up dramatically after the settlement, the other parent may be able to argue for an increase in child support. On the other hand, if your networth/income goes down dramatically, that may be the basis to have the child support reduced. As always, the above is not legal advice, simply commenting on a matter of public interest. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-wins-lottery-keeps-it-secret-divorces-wife/238108/19 "2004-04-05T05:29:40Z")
Here’s a more recent article, which seems to confirm **mnemosyne** ’s understanding of the state of the second marriage: [Brother rips Lotto ‘Vultures’](http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/CalgarySun/News/2004/04/04/408094.html). ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-wins-lottery-keeps-it-secret-divorces-wife/238108/20 "2004-04-05T14:52:07Z")
> [@Northern Piper](#): > > Sure he does. Under Canadian child support laws, both parents have a legal obligation to support their children. As well, the child support laws are based on ability to pay: if your net worth/income goes up dramatically after the settlement, the other parent may be able to argue for an increase in child support. On the other hand, if your networth/income goes down dramatically, that may be the basis to have the child support reduced. > > As always, the above is not legal advice, simply commenting on a matter of public interest. I see what you mean - but I don’t think the first wife can argue to get anywhere NEAR his millions in child support. I might be wrong, but that WOULD be “vulturing” and I hope any court could see that! I just tend to assume the worst of people when they step forward with “But I was married to him!!” arguments. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-wins-lottery-keeps-it-secret-divorces-wife/238108.md?page=2)