A Maine man who won the $1.35 billion Mega Millions jackpot has taken legal action against his daughter’s mother for allegedly revealing the win to his family without his consent.
The man initially won the large payout in January 2023 but recently filed a lawsuit against the mother of his daughter for compromising his anonymity in the matter.
Upon winning the Maine state lottery in January 2023, the man chose to receive a hefty $723 million in cash as a one-time payment, which would leave him with $300 million less after taxes and fees.
The Daily Beast obtained the lawsuit which shows that the man, only known as “John Doe,” is seeking damages from the mother of his daughter, “Sara Smith,” for telling others about the man’s win, thereby risking his identity to be exposed.
$1.35 Billion Mega Millions Winner Sues Daughter's Mother for Revealing His Identity https://t.co/N98B6mMML2
— Matthew Abenante, IRC (@matt_ir_guru) November 21, 2023
LotteryPost.com reported that two weeks before the man claimed his winnings, the woman signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA), forbidding her from telling anyone about the man’s lottery win until their daughter’s 18th birthday in June 2032.
Such a provision was needed to “avoid irreparable harm of allowing the media or the public in general to discover” the man’s name, per One America News (OAN).
The woman reportedly signed the NDA because the man vowed to help her and offer her monetary resources going forward.
Court filings state that a violation of the NDA would provide the man with “legal and equitable relief without the requirement or necessity of proving actual damages,” according to Fox Business. Such relief could include monetary damages, fees and any costs incurred by the man because of a breach.
If the woman had broken the NDA, she would be required to inform the man of her actions within 24 hours.
The woman reportedly told the man’s father and stepmother over the phone about his lottery winnings and failed to inform him of her NDA violation. News of the large payout then reached the man’s sister, among other relatives.
The man is now asking the mother of his daughter to reveal who else she told about his lottery winnings and is seeking $100,000 for every instance she violated the NDA.
