In a remarkable turn of events, a woman who recently divorced her husband after winning an astonishing N1.5 billion has been directed by the court to hand over the entire sum to her estranged spouse.

The individual in question, Denise Rossi, currently residing in the United States, found herself compelled to relinquish her lottery prize to her former partner due to her failure to disclose the funds during their divorce proceedings.

Denise’s stroke of luck came just 11 days before she officially filed for divorce from Thomas Rossi, her husband of 25 years. Seizing the opportunity, she chose to keep her substantial winnings a secret, hoping to retain the entirety for herself. However, her carefully devised plan took an unexpected turn when a letter from a lottery payment company mistakenly reached Thomas’s residence two years after their separation.

To Thomas’s astonishment, the letter revealed that Denise had been the fortunate recipient of a N1.5 billion California State Lottery jackpot, receiving annual installments of N25 million. Feeling deceived and wronged, he took legal action against her, accusing her of violating asset disclosure laws and engaging in fraudulent and malicious behavior.

Following a thorough examination of the circumstances, a family court judge in Los Angeles sided with Thomas, deeming Denise’s actions dishonest and awarding him the entirety of her lottery winnings. The judge highlighted that had Denise been forthright about her windfall from the outset, she could have retained half of the sum. However, her concealment of the funds effectively nullified her entitlement.

This ruling serves as a striking reminder of the importance of transparency and honesty in legal proceedings, underscoring the potential consequences that can arise from attempts to conceal significant assets during a divorce.