A lottery winner who bagged a whopping $10 million (£8 million) lost it all in just ten years has admitted she now has to work again.
Sharon Tirabassi, 35, from Hamilton in Ontario bought a Lotto Super 7 ticket on April 2004 weekend when she instantly became a millionaire overnight.
It was beyond her wildest dreams, especially growing up in different homeless shelters, as she believed the money would last forever.
Sadly, though, the winnings didn't come with a financial advisor as she splashed out on a huge house, fancy cars, designer clothes, lavish parties, expensive trips, and loans to family and friends.
She even took her friends on all-expenses-paid trips to Florida, Las Vegas, California and the Caribbean.
The mum-of-six checked her bank account occasionally but as there were so many zeros she didn't worry about her lavish purchases.
She told The Star: “You don’t think it’ll go (at the time), right?"
The spending continued as she bought a house, married 35-year-old Vinny and had three children.
They generously gave her parents $1million (£800,000) and split $1.75million between her four siblings.
The couple also bought four cars, a yellow Hummer, a Mustang, a Dodge Charger, and a Cadillac Escalade.
Sharon would also use the money to help pay her neighbours rent - and even helped a friend launch a business.
In addition, the pair bought a number of homes in Hamilton and rented them out to families on a low-incomes.
Until she realised one day there was just $750,000 (£600,000) left in her bank account.
She admitted: “And that was time for fun to stop and to just go back to life.”
Sharon applied for a part-time job to help pay their rent and admits she's much happier now.
Husband Vinny admitted the couple are used to not having money therefore it doesn't bother them.
“I lived like this my whole life, I never was rich,” he says. “We grew up like this, so we’re used to it.”
The jackpot winner now rents a house in Hamilton with her husband and six children - and works as a personal support worker.
She regularly takes the bus, according to husband Vinny, but the pair remain unconcerned after returning to normality.
The experience has changed the couple with Sharon admitting "money is the root of all evil" after friends and even family came calling for cash.
Vinny said: "Money doesn't buy you happiness. It caused her a lot of headaches. She lost a lot of friends, a lot of family."
After winning such a life-changing amount of money, Vinny warned anyone who wins the lottery should be careful - and only trust family members.
Vinny said: “Keep it to yourself and don’t trust anybody but family.”
