Believe it or not, statistics show 70% of lottery winners end up broke and a third go on to declare bankruptcy, according to the National Endowment for Financial Education. Runaway spending, toxic investments and poor accounting can burn through a lucrative windfall in next to no time. From rags to riches then back to rags again, click or scroll through to see 21 unlucky lottery winners who found out the hard way (all pre-2010 winnings have been adjusted in line with inflation). All dollar amounts in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

Kansas City grandmother Marva Wilson won $2 million on the Missouri Lottery in 2008, equivalent to $2.4 million (£1.9m) in today's money, but she didn't hold onto it for long. A family acquaintance called Freya Pearson scammed the unfortunate prizewinner out of her winnings, leaving the trusting Wilson with nothing. Pearson was sentenced to five years in prison for her crime.

Instead of investing his winnings sensibly in real estate or stocks and shares, Ronnie Music Jr put his winnings into a crystal meth ring when he landed a $3 million (£2.3m) prize playing the Georgia Lottery in February 2015. The hapless drug dealer was caught, and on top of losing his money Music Jr was sentenced to 21 years in prison in April 2016.

After Roger Griffiths snapped up a £1.8 million win on the UK National Lottery in October 2005, equivalent to $3.4 million (£2.7m) today, he quit his job along with his wife and binge-spent to the max, snapping up designer clothes, luxury cars and a barn conversion, and jetting off on extravagant holidays. The money soon ran out and the couple's marriage broke down. Their assets had to be sold off to cover the debts and Griffiths now lives alone in a small cottage in Wetherby, West Yorkshire.

Britain's youngest lottery winner, Callie Rogers was over the moon when she scooped up £1.9 million in 2003 at the tender age of 16, equivalent to $3.7 million (£3m) today. The supermarket worker from Cumbria quit her job and pretty much went off the rails, splurging on cosmetic surgery, drug-fuelled nights out, holidays and gifts. So much so that, by 2013, Rogers had just $2,580 (£2k) left in the bank.

Another lottery winner who has ended up behind bars, Daniel Carley scooped up CA$5 million on the Ontario Lottery in 2006, equivalent to CA$6.2 million ($4.4m/£3.5m) in today's money. The St. Catherines resident spent like crazy and, by 2012, Carley was broke and up to his eyeballs in debt. Desperate to make ends meet, he turned to drug dealing and was sentenced in August 2017 to two and a half years in the slammer for selling crack cocaine.

Ibi Roncaioli and her doctor husband Joseph were already financially comfortable when Ibi won CA$5 million on the Canadian Lotto 6/49 in 1991, equivalent to CA$8.2 million ($5.8m/£4.7m) today. But all was not well in the relationship. Ibi had two 'secret' sons from previous relationships and gifted them the bulk of the winnings. When Joseph found out in July 2003, he killed his wife by injecting her with a cocktail of lethal drugs. The former gynaecologist served seven years in prison for the crime.

The champagne corks were flying when Edinburgh native John Roberts scored a £3.1 million win on the UK National Lottery in 1998, equivalent to $6.8 million (£5.5m) today, but Roberts wasn't living the high life for long. The Scot spent a fortune on supercars and questionable investments, including a money-pit pub. By 2001, Roberts' winnings had disappeared and he ended up moving into a mobile home.

In December 2005, Spanish bricklayer Francisco Guerrero struck it lucky when he won €6.47 million in the Spanish Bonoloto, equivalent to €8.16 million ($9m/£7.3m) in today’s money. But he made a number of bad investments and ended up not only losing the money, but losing all of his properties as well. He has repeatedly taken Santander bank to court for damages, saying he was advised to put his money into the loss-making investments.

Former soldier Peter Kyle took home a massive £5.1 million when his numbers came up on the UK National Lottery in 2005, equivalent to $9.5 million (£7.7m) today, and the Plymouth native even won an extra £500 playing bingo to celebrate the win. But all this good luck wasn't to last. By 2008, Kyle had lost the lot and was forced to claim welfare payments from the government, having pumped his cash into a series of bad investments.

A victim of her own generosity, Sharon Tirabassi from Hamilton, Ontario won CA$10.5 million in the Canadian Lotto Super 7 back in 2004, equivalent to CA$13.6 million ($9.6m/£7.7m) today. Tirabassi spent lavishly on family and friends, splurging on everything from designer clothes to a Cadillac. Now all that's left of her lottery winnings is tied up in trust for her children and Tirabassi is living frugally in a rented house.

Bryan Magee from Derry, Northern Ireland made it onto the Sunday Times Top 100 Rich List for young people when he won £6.4 million in the UK National Lottery jackpot in February 2008, the equivalent of $10.6 million (£8.6m) in today's money. But his affluence was short-lived. Magee lost a fortune when his business crashed in 2013, and eventually had to put the home he bought with his winnings up for sale to help pay off his creditors.

When Lawrence Candlish landed a UK National Lottery payout of £5.5 million in 1997, equivalent to $12.5 million (£10m) today, the Gateshead resident lavished his family with gifts, including property and cars. Candlish moved to Spain in the early 2000s and put the rest of his winnings into several failed business schemes, while illegally claiming UK disability payments from the government. The now-broke ex-pat returned to the UK to face the music in 2012 and received a suspended sentence for the fraud.

Brooklyn-born Lou Eisenberg became a multimillionaire in 1981, winning the New York State Lottery jackpot on the ominous date of Friday 13 November. The $5 million win, equivalent to $14.2 million (£11.5m) today, was the largest lottery payout at the time. Eisenberg gambled away most of his winnings and the remainder went on paying off his ex-wives. By 2001, the cash had dried up and Eisenberg was living in a mobile home.

London resident Lee Ryan was awaiting trial for handling stolen vehicles when he walked away with a £6.5 million win on the UK National Lottery in 1995, equivalent to $15.6 million (£12.6m) in today's money. The convicted criminal, who had previously served three years in prison for car theft and was jailed again in late 1995 for the same crime, spent like crazy when he was finally released. Ryan left his wife and moved to Kyrgyzstan with a new girlfriend in the mid-2000s and was duped out of the rest of his winnings. By 2010 the money had all but vanished, Ryan returned to London and the 'Lotto Lag', as he was nicknamed by the UK press, spent two years sleeping on the streets. 

Keith Gough picked up £9 million in prize money when his numbers came up on the UK National Lottery in 2005, equivalent to $16.8 million (£13.5m) in today's money. Keith splurged on luxuries and spoiled family and friends. As his spending spiralled out of control, his wife divorced him and Keith descended into alcoholism. Broke and in serious debt, he died of a heart attack in March 2010.

Bin collector Mickey Carroll scooped the UK National Lottery jackpot in 2002 at the age of 19, winning £9.7 million, equivalent to $19.7 million (£15.9m) in today's money. Dubbed the 'Lotto lout' by the British tabloid press, the convicted criminal from Norfolk squandered the lot on partying, jewellery, extravagant cars and gifts for family and friends. By 2010, Carroll was so broke he was forced to return to his former minimum wage job to make ends meet.

Winning a bumper £10 million on the UK National Lottery in 1997, equivalent to $22.7 million (£18.3m) today, John McGuinness quit his £150-a-week hospital porter job and spent like there was no tomorrow, snapping up his beloved soccer club Livingston in the process for £3 million. But McGuinness hadn't realised that he would be liable for the club's debts and his remaining winnings were swallowed up. By 2009, McGuinness had barely enough cash left for groceries. 

South Korean immigrant Janite Lee went from rags to riches in 1993, winning a cool $18 million on the Missouri Lottery, equivalent to $32.2 million (£26m) today. Overly generous, the former wigmaker's American dream soon turned into a nightmare. Lee donated millions to charity, bankrolled the Democrat Party and bought everything on credit. By 2001, the philanthropist was bankrupt, owing her debtors a staggering $2.5 million.

William 'Bud' Post III thought he'd made it big-time when he won $16.2 million on the Pennsylvania Lottery in 1988, which would be equal to $35.4 million (£28.6m) in today's money. But he didn't feel so lucky when his brother tried to have him murdered to get hold of the money, and his wife successfully sued him for a large chunk of the winnings. With his spending out of control, Post eventually ran up debts of of $1 million and was living on food stamps for several years before his death in 2006 at the age of 66.

Kentucky resident David Lee Edwards won a $27 million share of a Powerball jackpot in 2002, equivalent to $38.8 million (£31.3m) today. Flush with cash, Edwards went on the mother of all spending sprees, blowing the lot in under five years on a huge mansion, fleet of luxury cars and LearJet, not to mention copious amounts of narcotics. Ravaged by drugs and estranged from his wife, the ill-fated lottery winner died in 2013 aged just 58, broke and alone. 

In 2002, construction boss Jack Whittaker won a whopping $314.9 million on the Powerball multi-state lottery and opted for a lump sum payout of $113 million, which would be $162.5 million (£131.1m) in today's money. Plagued by bad luck, the Virginia native overspent and wasted the cash on bad investments. He was even robbed at one point. By 2007, all the money had gone and Whittaker was back to square one.

Now meet some lottery jackpot winners who won more than once