From humble beginnings to instant multi-millionaires, some lucky people have experienced unimaginable changes after hitting the jackpot.
While some winners have managed their wealth responsibly, others have struggled to adjust to the sudden influx of cash, leading to tragic consequences.
From a Kentucky winner who bagged $27 million but later ended up living in shed covered in poo five years later, to New York's biggest winner who vowed never to throw away his money and bought a pad in the Trump Tower, there have been plenty of highs and lows throughout the United States.
On National Millionaire Day, May 20, it's time to take a closer look at some of the biggest lotto winners the US has seen and how their lives have been transformed either for the better or worse, by their newfound wealth, with some stories proving that money isn't everything.
Powerball winner hits record $2billion jackpot
A California man became an overnight billionaire after winning a whopping $2 billion.
Edwin Castro, 30, became the biggest lottery prize in US history last year and added a jaw-dropping $997.6 million to his bank account.
He used his winnings to invest in real estate, buying two multimillion dollar homes in California in March.
One was a $25.5 million estate in Hollywood Hills, while the other was a slightly more modest $4 million mansion with views of the San Gabriel Mountains.
His Hollywood Hills home consists of five bedrooms and seven bathrooms - totalling 13,500 square feet of living space.
It has a game room, wine cellar, movie theatre, bar, infinity pool, spa, and fitness studio complete with both hot and cold plunge pools.
His other, slightly less expensive home, is just a short distance from the gas station where he bought the winning Powerball ticket in his hometown of Altadena.
The 1953 home is Japanese style, with five bedrooms and four bathrooms. This home has its own luxury features, including a saltwater swimming pool, cinema, outdoor pond and a garage-carport combo which can fit more than a dozen vehicles.
His new lifestyle includes a vintage $250,000 Porsche, as well as 24/7 security. He has a rotation of three guards who reportedly protect him and his home around the clock.
Since his massive win, Mr Castro hasn't done any media interviews, however he did release a statement which was read by Powerball officials when they announced him as the winner.
"As much as I am shocked and ecstatic to have won the Powerball drawing, the real winner is the California public school system," he said in the statement.
"The mission of the California Lottery, which is to provide supplemental funding for California public education - both public schools and colleges - makes this a huge win for the state.
"As someone who received the rewards of being educated in the California public education system, it's gratifying to hear that, as a result of my win, the California school system greatly benefits as well."
Winning $10MILLION but losing it all
A lottery winner who bagged a whopping $10 million lost it all in just ten years and later admitted she had to go back to work.
Sharon Tirabassi, 35, from Hamilton in Ontario, Canada, had her life changed forever when she won a staggering $10 million (£8 million) from a Lotto Super 7 ticket in April 2004.
Despite believing that her newfound wealth would last forever, the money vanished as Sharon splurged it on a luxurious house, fancy cars, designer clothes, extravagant parties, and loans to her loved ones.
She even treated her friends to all-expenses-paid trips around the world.
However, after ten years of indulging in a lavish lifestyle, Sharon had spent all of her winnings and was left with just $750,000 in her bank account.
She admitted: “And that was time for fun to stop and to just go back to life.”
She applied for a part-time job to pay rent and is now apparently much happier.
The jackpot winner now rents a house in Hamilton with her husband and six children - and works as a personal support worker.
Trump Tower resident bagged $45million
A man who won $45million in the New York Lotto says he is still "so happy" and has shared advice on how someone can hold on to such a whopping sum through the years - and not let it ruin their life.
John Falcon from Puerto Rico won in 1999 with his lucky numbers, made up of old addresses and it changed his life forever.
In 2005, he told ABC News that he was a struggling actor in dire straits before his big win.
He advised other lottery winners to hire financial advisors to manage their money, get the money in instalments, and avoid spending it all at once.
He revealed he asked to receive his lottery winnings in instalments over 26 years, to help him avoid splurging it all at once.
Falcon invested $175,000 in dental work and moved into a luxury pad in the Trump Tower.
He warns others who make it big that a tax attorney, a good accountant, and a bookkeeper are absolutely necessary for tracking finances.
He is still "so happy" and has no regrets.
Scratch card worth $1million was nearly binned
Not winning the lottery is annoying, but winning it and throwing away the scratch card accidentally would be worse.
That nearly happened to a woman from Grand Ridge, Florida, who became a millionaire after almost throwing her winning scratch card in the bin.
Jill Rowell, 52, had purchased a $50 (£40) ticket but did not realise its value until someone saw her about to throw it away and suggested she give it another look.
To her surprise, she uncovered the $1 million (£795,660) prize.
Jill said in a statement: "I scanned the ticket at the machine, and you could say it was definitely a 'spectacular' surprise!'"
She reportedly chose a one-time payment after being offered the prize either as a yearly stipend or a lump sum or payment of $640,000 (£508,966).
Jill said: "I drove straight here and yes, I want a picture."
Florida Lottery officials revealed that the retailer will receive $2,000 (£1,591) for selling a winning scratch-off ticket.
She bought the ticket at Super Snead's, located at 8022 Highway 90 in the town of Sneads.
Man wins $2million but only gets HALF
A not-so-lucky lottery winner saw nearly half his massive $2million jackpot taken from him by the government.
Andrew Bramall of Glen Rock, Pennsylvania, won big when he matched the first five Powerball numbers drawn on February 1.
But after he went to cash the ticket he only took home $1,302,000 with more than a third going to the government.
This was due to the "required withholdings" taken by the government, the New York Lottery said in a press release.
Winner of $27MILLION ended up living in shed
A man from Ashland, Kentucky, David Lee Edwards, won $27 million on the lottery, but ended up spending it all within five years and reportedly living in a shed covered in poo.
Edwards, a convicted felon, had won a quarter-share of the Powerball $280 million jackpot in August 2001, but by 2006, he had lost all his money.
Edwards' lavish purchases included a mansion in a gated community, a private jet, and over a dozen expensive cars.
However, his overspending and drug addiction took their toll, and he and his girlfriend were allegedly found penniless and living in a storage shed covered in human faeces.
Edwards' girlfriend soon left and re-married, and she and her new husband eventually took Edwards in before finding him a space in a hospice.
By 2013, Edwards had passed away, aged 58, after going through all of his winnings and owing thousands to others.
Woman wins $1million after spooky voice tells her to play
Another lucky woman won a life changing $1million (£820,000) on a lottery scratch card after she claimed a spooky voice urged her to buy the ticket.
Wendy Hester was at Fair Haven Mini Marty in North Carolina, US, doing her weekly shop when she decided to buy a scratchcard after hearing a strange voice inside her head.
The voice convinced her to purchase a $8 (£6) VIP Platinum instant scratchcard before heading home with her groceries.
She revealed: "Something just told me to buy it, so I did. It was just meant to be, I think."
Wendy waited until she got home to scratch off the lucky ticket and was left astonished after finding out she had won a life changing $1million (£820,000). But Wendy actually only took home a total of $429,000 (£353,300) after state and federal taxes.
She said her and her husband planned to use the money to pay off a car loan and buy a new house.
Winner's murdered body discovered under concrete
Abraham Lee Shakespeare, 43, won the Florida lottery jackpot in 2006.
He collected his winnings publicly, but soon took a dislike to the changes in his life following the life-changing win.
Along with the money came a string of side effects and bad decisions, with Shakespeare even telling his brother, Robert Brown, on one occasion he would have been better off having not won anything.
He became extremely generous with his newfound wealth, which unfortunately made him vulnerable to exploitation.
People flocked to him for money, leading him to realise that many were only interested in his riches.
One person who took advantage of him was Dorice Donegan Moore, who posed as a friend and financial advisor. She convinced him to sell his million-dollar home and opened a company with access to his funds.
Tragically, Shakespeare went missing in April 2009, and his family initially hoped he had chosen to enjoy his winnings elsewhere.
On January 25, 2010, Shakespeare was found shot to death, buried under concrete in the back garden of a home previously bought by Moore.
In 2012 a jury found Moore guilty of first-degree murder, with the judge sentencing her to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
She was incarcerated at the Lowe Correctional Facility in Ocala, Florida.
