A Maine man who won a $1.35 billion Mega Millions jackpot is suing his daughter’s mother for allegedly revealing to his parents that their son had come into the life-altering windfall.
The recipient of the fourth-largest lottery payout in U.S. history has never been identified, and little is known about him. The unnamed man bought the winning ticket—30, 43, 45, 46 and 61, with a gold Mega Ball of 14—at Hometown Gas & Grill in Lebanon, Maine, and chose to receive his prize in a one-time lump-sum payment of $723,564,144, or nearly $500 million after taxes.
Now the mystery man is demanding a six-figure fine from his baby mama for spilling the beans to his folks about his newfound billionaire status and thus violating a non-disclosure agreement to keep his newfound wealth strictly hush-hush until 2032, according to a federal lawsuit filed anonymously on Tuesday and obtained by The Daily Beast.
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“[A]s a result of Defendant’s unauthorized disclosure of Protected Subject Matter to John Doe’s father and stepmother, other third parties are now in possession of John Doe’s Protected Subject Matter, including his sister,” the lawsuit states.
Reached for comment on Wednesday, Doe’s attorney, Greg Brown, declined to provide any additional details about his client or the case. Doe’s significant other, who is listed as “Sara Smith” in the suit, was unable to be reached.
Experts recommend keeping a big lottery win a secret, changing your phone number and setting up a P.O. box to fend off endless requests for cash, retaining an attorney to collect the money, and “keeping your name out of the spotlight.”
Doe beat the staggering 1-in-302,600,000 Mega Millions odds and became instantly rich when his numbers came up on Friday, Jan. 13, 2023. He received the loot via wire transfer the following month, through an LLC called LaKoma Island Investments.
“The winner is thoughtfully considering the best uses of the life-changing prize,” a representative for Doe said in a news release issued by the Maine State Lottery.
Michael Boardman, deputy director of Maine Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages & Lottery Operation, told the Associated Press at the time, “I understand why someone would want to remain anonymous with this kind of money. We wish them well and hope they do good things with it.”
In Tuesday’s lawsuit, Doe says he went to great lengths to keep his win a secret, even from those closest to him. The only person who knew, according to the suit, was Smith.
“Due to the unique safety, security, and privacy concerns associated with winning the lottery, Defendant agreed to enter into a Non-Disclosure Agreement (‘NDA’) with John Doe to promote the safety and security of John Doe, Defendant, and their daughter and to avoid the irreparable harm of allowing the media or the public in general to discover, inter alia, John Doe’s identity, physical location, and assets,” the suit states.
In exchange for her signature, Doe promised Smith “support and ongoing security resources,” the suit goes on, without providing further specifics. Smith agreed not to say anything, to anyone, other than an “authorized recipient,” about Doe having won the lottery or his improbable riches, information she would “necessarily [obtain] in the maintenance and support of Daughter.”
Smith signed the NDA on Feb. 8, and acknowledged it would remain in effect through June 1, 2032, which is when their daughter will turn 18, the lawsuit states. The NDA defined “authorized recipients” as Doe’s daughter, as well as his lawyers, financial advisors, accountants, or “others who… need to know.” Anyone else would require Doe’s permission, in writing, according to the lawsuit.
In the event of “an intentional or an inadvertent disclosure” by Smith, the lawsuit says the NDA required her to notify Doe within 24 hours, also in writing, specifying who she told, how and when she told them, and “efforts undertaken by the disclosing party to retrieve the disclosed Protected Subject Matter and/or minimize its republication.”
Doe claims Smith violated the NDA by exposing his lottery win in “one or more telephone communications” with his dad and stepmom in September, and that his sister was subsequently informed, as well. This has caused Doe “irreparable harm,” the suit claims.
He is now asking for an injunction barring Smith from revealing any further info to anyone else about the Mega Millions prize, “all reasonable attorney fees, expenses, and court costs incurred in the prosecution of this lawsuit,” as well as actual and compensatory damages “in an amount to be determined at trial, but no less than $100,000 per unauthorized disclosure.”
Brown, Doe’s attorney, would not say on Wednesday if the alleged disclosure to his father and stepmother officially counts as one or two disclosures, and whether or not the sister counts as a third.
