Lottery Winner of 12.5 Million Shekels Admits: "I Mismanaged My Money, I'm Back to Work"

Reuven Shemesh, a painter from Hadera, experienced what many only dream of: a win of 12.5 million shekels in the lottery. In an interview with Tzvika Hadar on the new Channel 16, Shemesh recounted the first moments after the dramatic news and the turbulent financial conduct that followed.

Among the first actions he took, Shemesh withdrew a quarter of a million shekels in cash from the bank, locked himself in a room, and scattered the bills in the air: "I opened the packages, threw the bills in the air, and started swimming in them," he said.

Alongside the celebrations, Shemesh also acted out of generosity. He bought two villas, one for himself and one as a gift for the mother of his children, and divided the money between them. From his share, he donated 400,000 shekels to needy families in Hadera during the coronavirus period. With the remaining money, he bought a luxurious three-story villa, a Mercedes car, and decided to retire from work. "I threw all the tools and putty knives in the trash, I was sure the money would never run out," he admitted.

However, the lack of proper financial management took its toll. The money ran out, and Shemesh was forced to return to his original profession as a painter. "Unfortunately, I did not manage correctly. I could have been very wealthy today," he concluded, and offered a tip to future winners: "If I had taken a businessman to let the money work for me, I would be in a different place today."