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The real-life case of the American waitress who received a lottery ticket as a tip, won R$50 million, and faced legal disputes, tax problems, and even kidnapping after the unexpected win.
In 1999, a simple tip completely changed the life of Tonda Dickerson, waitress at a chain restaurant Waffle house, in Alabama, United States. A regular customer handed him a lottery ticket as a tip, a gesture that seemed common for those who used to play scratch cards. But what seemed like just another symbolic gift turned into a million-dollar prize. US$10 million, equivalent to approximately R$50 million. From then on, luck gave way to a sequence of processes, conflicts and dramatic events that marked its history.
The unexpected fortune made Tonda an instant celebrity, but also the target of legal disputes with colleagues, with the client itself and with the United States Internal Revenue ServiceYears later, she would vent by saying that the award “ruined your life".
The winning tip that became a legal case
At the time, Tonda was working a regular shift when Edward Seward, a regular customer, gave him the scratch-off ticket.
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He had a habit of handing out notes to his employees as a way of saying thank you and, according to witnesses, he had once joked that he would “share the prize” if any of them won something.
Days later, when Tonda scratched the ticket, he discovered he had won. $10M monthlyThe news spread quickly throughout the restaurant, but the celebration gave way to a legal conflict.
Four coworkers sued Tonda, claiming that there was a verbal agreement among employees to divide any prize money coming from these tips.
Colleagues demand part of the prize and the Court decides
The case went to the Alabama courts. In the first ruling, Justice partially acknowledged the colleagues' request, understanding that, if the note was considered a tip, the amount should be divided.
However, Tonda resorted to State Supreme Court, which ended up deciding in his favor.
The court concluded that a lottery ticket does not qualify as a common tip, and that there was no concrete evidence of a formal division agreement.
So she was able to keep the prize in full.
Even with the victory, the episode left its mark: the waitress distanced herself from her former colleagues and began to face strong media attention, becoming a symbol of a rare case in which luck became a problem.
The customer also tried to claim the prize
Himself Edward Seward, the customer who had given the ticket, filed a lawsuit against Tonda.
He stated that she promised to buy him a truck if he won and, by not complying, he would have violated a verbal agreement.
The court again ruled in favor of the waitress, recognizing that the note had been given as a tip and that there was no proof of contractual obligation.
This second legal victory reinforced the understanding that donating a lottery ticket transfers ownership to the recipient, making the new owner the only legitimate winner.
Tax problems and the Federal Revenue process
Soon after the award, Tonda decided transfer the money to a family business with the aim of avoiding taxes on donations and trying to better manage the gains.
The decision ended up creating a new headache: United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) opened a lawsuit for fiscal fraud.
She was forced to pay over $1 million in taxes and fines, which reduced part of the fortune gained.
This process marked the beginning of a phase in which Tonda, although a millionaire, began to live with lawyers, hearings and constant audits, instead of enjoying the wealth gained.
The kidnapping and attack of the ex-husband
Tonda's situation worsened during an episode of violence. A few years after the award, she was kidnapped by her ex-husband, Stacy Martin, who demanded part of the money.
During the kidnapping, the waitress managed to react and shot him in the chest in self-defense.
The ex-husband survived but was sentenced to a short prison term.
The case shocked public opinion and consolidated Tonda's image as a woman who had his life turned upside down for a prize that, in theory, should have brought him comfort.
Life after the millionaire prize
After all the processes and traumas, Tonda chose to receive the prize in annual payments of US$375, spread over 30 years, which guaranteed greater financial control.
Even so, she decided back to work, assuming the position of blackjack and poker dealer in a casino, to maintain a stable routine and away from the spotlight.
Currently, it takes a discreet and reserved life, avoiding the media and rarely giving interviews.
His trajectory is remembered as one of the most emblematic cases about the side effects of sudden luck and the legal and emotional risks of a windfall.
Giving a truck to the guy who made me a millionaire is the least I could do. I should give it with a smile. As for my coworkers, if it was really a habit to pool their smaller tips and divide them equally, I would have split it. It came free, and anything would be profit. And of course, I would give half to my husband. We already share what little we have, why wouldn't I share the big one? Everything she suffered, and it still ended up cheap, was bad karma due to pure greed. Serves her right. She suffered little…
Jealous!!!
You understood that it was her ex-husband, right?? You would have to give nothing... an ex is an ex, he's already had his turn.
It would be much wiser... upon discovering that you won... to stay quiet... to say that you lost the ticket... to wait a little... and buy another one... ...to say that you won the other one
The problem really is that some people can't keep a secret, even from themselves. My wife's grandmother once asked me what I intended to do with the land I owned. I mentioned it to her, and she immediately looked me straight in the eye and said, "My son, I'll give you some advice: never tell anyone your dreams and plans, because people aren't happy with those who can improve their situation! Keep it to yourself." Thinking about what she had told me, I changed my address, having been born there. I did what I dreamed of doing with the land, and I followed her advice to the letter.
Note: All 10 of her children are successful and her grandchildren have degrees in medicine, law, psychology, and business.
TOLD IT ALL. I received a good amount of money and only told a friend of mine for years. I didn't give any details and I'm living my own life. I didn't buy anything big like a car or anything. I didn't buy any real estate because I already own a house and have more than one.
I paid some outstanding real estate bills. I could invest in other properties, but I'm fine.
Next year I plan on getting a TB and a refrigerator. Not now because I'm slowly fixing them. My refrigerator works, but it's just very worn out. The TV actually died. I'm using the one I didn't use in the living room in my bedroom now. And so I'm staying put.🤫🤫🤫
Some very simple things could have improved her life 100%. First, she could have been grateful to the guy who gave her the ticket and the truck. She could have also given some money to her colleagues (a symbolic amount). With $1 million, she would have solved both of these problems, and it was precisely the amount she lost to the IRS due to tax fraud. People are like that; today they have nothing, but if they win just one real, they change completely. It was the same with her ex-husband; she could simply share the prize with him. $5 million is better than dying in a coffin without enjoying anything. Because she could have died in his kidnapping. Anyway, the only thing I thought of in this story was the ring of power from the Lord of the Rings.
And do you think her colleagues wanted little? They probably wanted to split it equally. She should have left, left everyone behind. After she won, she discovered who the people around her really were.
You can't hide from bad karma. Her soul is rotten, she didn't even give a truckload to the person who gave her the winning ticket. If I were in the habit of sharing tips, I would have shared the money too. And I would never stop sharing with my husband because we always share everything. Easy come, easy go. That's how you test people's character. Do you think she suffered? For me, it was cheap...
Wrong. The best thing to do is keep it a secret. Not even your shadow can find out, because even if you offered the truck to the man, he wouldn't be satisfied and would always want more. People are like that; when there are millions at stake, they're capable of devouring the person to get their ticket. That's why she should have kept quiet, quit her job, and said she was moving to another state for something realistic, then lived and enjoyed what the universe had given her... and to hell with everyone else.