Most interesting Bucket Lists from past lottery winners

When asked what they would do after winning the lottery, most people list things like paying off their mortgage, buying a nice car, and looking forward to traveling more. But once you get those sensible plans out of the way, big winners will have a little more than enough left over for their grandest ideas.

Here are some of the less typical bucket list entries from past lottery winners.

Develop a skill

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Canadian immigrant Melhig Melhig hit it big twice with a total of $3.5M in prize money. The first thing he said was that his money was going to his education. The Winnipeg resident is originally from Africa and wants to use the money to polish his English and learn carpentry.

After getting professional financial advice, Charlie Lagarde opted for a weekly $1,000 for the rest of her life. She plans to spend some of her money on photography classes.

A quick scan of her Instagram will show that the 18-year old is now living a life full of travel. It appears that’s also one of her passions as she hopes to work for the National Geographic in the future.

Support a cause

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In 2008, Jason Rinaldi won a $35.3 million jackpot. Rinaldi told The Star how people expected him to blow all his money by throwing parties or buying cars. But Rinaldi defied all expectations, and he is now living a quiet life in Durham. He has a 26-acre property fitted with his own hot rod shop. Aside from restoring old cars, Rinaldi is also a philanthropist and he made a recent $500,000 donation to Ryerson University’s Rams Care camp program. The initiative gives free education to students in need.

Build a water park

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One of the most unusual purchases came from the lottery-winning New York couple John and Linda Kutey. After cashing in $37.4 million (USD28.7 million) in the state lottery, the Kuteys decided to fund a spray park in honor of their parents. It is located in a small town called Green Village which many people have been enjoying since 2013.

Create a TV show

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Jonathan Vargas was only 19 when he won $46.01 million (USD35.3 million) on the Powerball.

This major lottery in the US is offered in 44 states, and even in American territories, particularly Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. It has a track record of producing some of the biggest lottery payouts in the world. In fact, the largest lottery jackpot in history – $2.07 billion (USD1.58 billion) – was won here. It’s currently amassing another large prize, as Lottoland indicates that the Powerball jackpot is $1.06 billion (USD813 million) as of writing. Such an increase from the lottery’s minimum payout of $52 million (USD40 million) is a testament to the odds you have to beat in order to hit it big. Although Vargas won not long after the jackpot was reset, his winnings are still more than enough to support his lifestyle and unusual interests.

The former construction worker has a passion for entertainment, and he decided to use his fortune to create the all-female wrestling show, Wrestlicious. Although it was never a hit in the US, Vargas announced that he’s working on a new program based on the original concept and that he’s being smarter with his money this time around.