James Farthing wins £126m lottery jackpot but ends up in jail days later

A man from Kentucky, James Farthing, won a huge $167.3 million Powerball jackpot—the biggest in the state’s history—with a $2 ticket he bought for his mother, Linda Grizzle.

The two celebrated the win together, took pictures with the prize cheque, and Linda happily said, “it’s going to be a good Mother’s Day.” She also shared plans to pay off debts and said she “would have never dreamed” of winning.

But just a few days later, things took a turn. James, 50, was arrested after an incident at a hotel in Florida. He reportedly punched another guest, and when a police officer tried to step in, James allegedly kicked the officer in the face.

His partner, Jacqueline Fightmaster, 42, was also arrested for disorderly intoxication. James remained in custody due to a previous parole violation, while Jacqueline was released the next day.

In a similar story from Brazil, Antonio Lopes Siqueira, a cattle farmer, won $32 million in a lottery with a ticket that cost less than $1. He hit all the lucky numbers in the Mega-Sena draw on November 9, putting him among Brazil’s top ten biggest lottery winners.

Sadly, Antonio’s happiness didn’t last long. After spending some of his winnings on dental surgery, he died during the procedure from a heart attack. He had diabetes and high blood pressure.

Doctors tried to save him, but he was pronounced dead. Authorities are still investigating whether the death was natural or caused by something else. Antonio was buried in Jaciara, about 143 km from his birthplace, Cuiabá.

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