Man getting divorced wins $80 million jackpot, has to share winnings with ex, court rules

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A man in the process of getting divorced landed a massive jackpot, only to find he had to share the winnings with his ex-wife. A Michigan appeals court ruling means the lottery winner, Richard A. Zelasko, has to share the money.

Nearly two years after filing for a divorce, Zelasko won a Mega Millions jackpot in 2013 worth nearly $39 million after taxes and deductions. But the divorce wasn’t final until 2018, The Associated Press reported. An arbitrator for the couple ruled the ticket’s winnings should be shared because it was part of the marital estate. The court noted the arbitrator reasoned “that that was probably not the first lottery ticket that defendant purchased during the marriage and that, ‘[a]s losses throughout the marriage were incurred jointly, so should winnings be shared jointly.’” The arbitrator ruled $15 million was owed to the wife, Mary E. Zelasko, and the appeals court upheld a lower court ruling.

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