Business
Business

Win the lottery? Great! Now, for the hard part …

By Matt Kempner
Jan 12, 2016

Snagging the Powerball jackpot might seem like the closest thing to winning a huge free lunch. It’s not.

Winning could be wonderful. But unless you immediately give away the winning ticket (which, would be a very cool thing), expect the jackpot also to come with baggage: con artists, lawsuit filers trying to scam the money, big taxes on the payout, more big taxes on what you give away.

If you win, bulk up on liability insurance and talk to a security advisor about how to protect yourself, advises Barry Berlin, a managing director of wealth management firm Atlantic Trust in Atlanta.

Check out other tips and more on winning (including what the attorney for a metro Atlanta lottery winner witnessed), in my latest Unofficial Business column on myAJC.com.

About the Author

Matt Kempner is an award-winning journalist who seeks out intriguing twists about people and subjects beyond what the AJC might typically cover. A former columnist and editor, his past assignments have included business investigations, energy, the economy, entrepreneurs, big business, consumer spending, politics, government and the environment.

Follow Matt Kempner on facebookFollow Matt Kempner on twitter
More Stories

Keep Reading

Long lines at the Frontier Airlines ticketing counter back up into the walkway at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Friday, November 21, 2025 (Ben Hendren for the AJC)

Credit: Ben Hendren

Live airport security wait times and today’s trends

The AJC gathers real-time wait-time data from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to show what security lines look like right now.

Microsoft’s newest AI ‘superfactory’ opens at sprawling Fayetteville campus

One of the largest data center campuses under construction in Georgia has its first operational tenant, and it’s one of the most recognizable names in technology.

In the market for a luxury vehicle? You might reconsider Lincoln.

The definition of “luxury” has shifted. It’s no longer just a softer ride with more chrome and gadgets; the real battle now is over experience. Lincoln is leaning in.

The Latest

The 2025 Navigator is the flagship vehicle of the Lincoln brand. (Tyler Gourley/Lincoln/TNS)

Credit: TNS

In the market for a luxury vehicle? You might reconsider Lincoln.

Beyond the odometer: What matters most in a used car

Why your car’s safety tech needs maintenance, too

Featured

Tracy Woodard from InTown Cares (left) and Lauren Hopper from Mercy Care organization work with residents at the Copperton Street encampment in August 2024. (Miguel Martinez / AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez

‘Worst nightmares come true.’ Atlanta confronts shift in homelessness funding.

Trump’s overhaul threatens permanent housing for an estimated 600 Atlanta households and 170,000 people nationwide, advocates warn.

Microsoft’s newest AI ‘superfactory’ opens at sprawling Fayetteville campus

One of the largest data center campuses under construction in Georgia has its first operational tenant, and it’s one of the most recognizable names in technology.

Atlanta officials quietly rebrand city’s DEI office

The city of Atlanta office overseeing diversity, equity and inclusion is getting a rebrand amid assaults at the federal level on such initiatives.