AITAH for cutting off my entire family and friend group after winning the lottery because they started using me?
I (27M) never imagined money would be the thing that made me lose everyone in my life.
Before this, I was the “reliable but invisible” guy. I showed up, helped when I could, and didn’t complain when nobody showed up for me. I worked a dead-end job, lived paycheck to paycheck, and still tried to be a good son, brother, and friend.
Then I won the lottery.
After taxes, I walked away with $8.3 million.
At first, I told myself I wouldn’t let it change me. I just wanted stability. Maybe a house. Maybe to help the people I loved.
That was my first mistake.
My Parents
I paid off my parents’ mortgage — over $240,000 gone in one wire transfer. At first they cried and hugged me, called me their miracle.
Two months later, my mom asked if I could “upgrade” their house. When I said no, she said, “Well, you can afford it.”
My dad started casually mentioning how much nicer his friend’s truck was. When I didn’t offer to buy him one, he got quiet. Eventually, I overheard him telling relatives that I was “stingy for a rich kid.”
I cut them off after my mom told me I was “choosing money over family” — even though I had already given them more money than I’d ever seen in my life.
My Sister
My sister was the hardest.
I bought her a car outright. Paid for insurance. Helped her catch up on bills. Then she started asking for a “monthly allowance.”
When I said no, she told me I didn’t understand how hard her life was. She stopped calling unless she needed money. When I told her I couldn’t keep funding her lifestyle, she told the family I was “punishing her for being poor.”
That was when I blocked her.
My Best Friend (or so I thought)
We’d been friends since middle school. He used to joke that if either of us got rich, we’d take care of the other.
Once I won, he took that seriously.
He asked me to invest $150,000 in a business he hadn’t even started. When I asked for a plan, he laughed and said, “Bro, you don’t need it back.”
When I said no, he accused me of “switching up” and said I wouldn’t be here without him. A week later, he posted online about “friends who forget you when they get money.”
Blocked.
Friends I Barely Knew
People from high school. Old coworkers. Even someone I went on one date with years ago.
They all had emergencies. Sick relatives. Rent due. Business ideas.
When I stopped replying, they got angry.
One guy literally said, “You won millions and can’t spare a few thousand? That’s evil.”
The Final Straw
The moment that ended everything was my birthday.
I invited a small group out — my treat. Halfway through dinner, someone joked that I should cover their credit card debt as a “gift.” Everyone laughed.
I didn’t.
The mood changed instantly.
That night, I went home and realized something terrifying: Nobody there actually knew me anymore. They only knew what I had.
Within a month, I changed my number. I moved cities. I hired a financial advisor and a lawyer. I cut off everyone who saw me as a resource instead of a human.
Now I’m the villain.
My parents say I’m ungrateful. My sister says I abandoned her. My old friends say money “corrupted” me.
But for the first time in my life, I sleep peacefully.
I don’t dread phone calls. I don’t feel guilty for saying no. I don’t feel owned.
So tell me, Reddit…
AITA for cutting everyone off after winning the lottery because they all started using me?
