A man who banked $1.35 billion after winning the Mega Millions jackpot is suing his daughter’s mother for telling his parents that he’d won, thereby violating an NDA she’d signed. The lucky winner, identified in court documents as Jane Doe, is suing the woman, referred to as Sara Smith, for more than six figures over the incident, the Daily Mail reports.
The man won the Mega Millions Jackpot on January 13.
The prize pot had continued to increase as no one had matched all lucky numbers for more than three months. That’s when John Doe hit big with a ticket bearing the numbers 30, 43, 45, and 61 and a Mega Ball of 14.
The ticket, which he bought at Hometown Gas & Grill in Lebanon, Maine, allowed him to pocket a one-time payment of $723,564,144 — reduced to about $500 million after taxes.
The non-disclosure agreement was signed on February 8.
Smith signed saying she would keep Doe’s identity a secret from everyone at least through June 1, 2032, when their daughter turns 18.
It made sense to sign the agreement, especially given how much money he’d won and the potential harm that could come to the family as a result.
“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,” court documents state.
It was also agreed that Sara Smith would get written permission before telling anyone and that if she did let it slip out — referred to as “an intentional or inadvertent disclosure — then she’d have to give Doe written notice.
Smith told Doe’s father and stepmother about it over the phone.
As a result, Doe’s sister also learned that her brother had won big. Uh oh.
“As a result of Defendant’s unauthorized disclosures, John Doe has suffered irreparable injury, and there is immediate and imminent danger that John Doe will continue to suffer irreparable injury for which there is no adequate remedy at law,” the court filing states.
His concern seems legitimate since Smith couldn’t keep quiet, and neither could Doe’s parents. The likelihood that the news will stop with his sister seems pretty slim.
Doe is suing Smith for $100,000 for unauthorized disclosure and wants the courts to step in and prevent her from doing it again.
