Man Spends $200K Lottery Winnings on Kids' Shelters, Receives Twice as Much Later – Story of the Day

For most of his life, Peter took his privilege for granted. Everything changed when his father decided it was time for Peter to learn the value of money. Will Peter learn to appreciate his background?

Peter's father, Christopher, was a well-respected and celebrated businessman in his community. Not only did Christopher earn praise for his business acumen, but people also loved him for his philanthropy. "I helped build this town because this town built me," Christopher would tell people.

Peter never appreciated his privilege growing up. He always got anything he asked for but never worked hard to earn it. At school, he behaved like a brat and, despite his natural intellect, barely scraped by in class.

"A boy with your gifts should be getting straight As in class. All of your teachers agree, yet they tell me that you don't even pay attention in class," Christopher told his son.

"Whatever, it's not like it matters much anyway," Peter responded.

Things only got worse in college. Christopher made sure to send Peter to the best college, but after his first year, Peter was expelled for partying too much. He refused to give up on his son, so Christopher sent Peter to another expensive college, hoping he'd learned his lesson.

"You don't have to go carrying that shame for the rest of your life."

Two years later, with just over a semester left to earn his degree, Peter was expelled again. Maybe he's better on the job, Christopher thought. He hired Peter as a junior manager of a branch of his business, hoping to show him the ropes.

Nobody at Christopher's business respected Peter, who constantly slacked off at work. Peter also seemed to lack respect for his co-workers. His branch immediately began reporting losses, and Christopher was at his wit's end. One day Christopher heard a rumor about his son and confronted Peter to get the truth.

"What's this I hear about you sneaking into my office and taking money from my safe? People tell me you've been betting money on football games!" Christopher shouted.

Peter rubbed his arm nervously and didn't respond. Christopher was shocked to confirm the rumor was true.

"That's it, Peter. I can't do this anymore. I've tried everything with you, but you refuse to listen to reason. You should have understood that you are not spending your money! You didn't earn that cash with hard work, but you spent it easily! How dare you?! I don't want to see you anymore! From this moment, you will begin to understand the value of money!" Christopher exclaimed.

At 22, Peter moved out of his parents' house without a degree or even a reference on his resume. He had barely enough savings to pay for a small studio apartment. Peter soon started working as a waiter at a local restaurant to make ends meet. During this time, he learned to humble himself.

He began to take responsibility for his mistakes and stopped taking his father for granted. Peter decided to change his life for the better and finally finished his degree. This earned him a promotion at work, and he became an administrator.

Peter soon became friends with a new waiter, Jonathan, at the restaurant. They were around the same age and hit it off straight away. When Jonathan asked Peter about his family, Peter was initially hesitant to share. He still felt ashamed but decided that Jonathan would understand.

"You've earned my trust back, and I know you can do it."

"The truth is, I spent my whole life disappointing my father. At first, I blamed him for expecting me to be a success or follow in his footsteps. But looking back, he just wanted the best for me, and I threw it all away," Peter revealed.

"Listen, man. You don't have to go carrying that shame for the rest of your life. You're back on your feet now, and I'm sure that your dad would be proud of how you turned things around. I'm an orphan, so I wouldn't really know, but I can imagine your family can see that you've changed," Jonathan replied.

Peter thanked him for his words but was stunned to hear that Jonathan was an orphan. Jonathan had yet to mention it despite being quite a sociable guy. Peter began to look at Jonathan as an example of how someone can beat the odds.

Peter wished he'd made a friend like Jonathan when he was younger. One day, Peter received a letter in the mailbox that surprised him. He had recently gone shopping at a large hardware store in his town. Funnily enough, the hardware store was owned by his father's business.

The letter he received notified him that his receipt had been entered into a lottery competition and won. Peter would be able to claim $200,000. Peter immediately called Jonathan without hesitation.

"Hey, buddy. I was wondering, could you recommend any charity organizations or children's shelters in the area?" Peter asked.

"Sure thing, Peter! I'll send you a list. Why? Is there a kid who needs help?" Jonathan replied.

"No, actually. I won this lottery competition. I'm giving the money away because I can't spend this. Maybe, I can make some orphans happier," Peter responded.

After Jonathan sent him a list of three charities, Peter called the hardware store and notified them that he would like to transfer his funds equally to each charity. Later that day, the hardware store sent him an e-mail confirming that the charities had received proof of payment.

The next day, before work, Peter received a surprise visitor. It was Christopher who had come to chat with his son. "Hey, kid. Firstly, I know it's been a long time, but I can see you're doing quite well. You're going to call me crazy, but... You passed the test!" Christopher said.

At first, Peter was confused because he thought his father meant his undergraduate degree, which he had completed two years earlier. But then it dawned on him.

"The lottery ticket?" Peter asked.

Christopher nodded and asked if he could join Peter at the restaurant.

Christopher then handed his son a check for $400,000 and said, "Why don't you open your very own restaurant with my financial backing? You've earned my trust back, and I know you can do it," Christopher said. Peter thought about it for a moment with a smile on his face.

"On two conditions. One, my friend Jonathan has to be a partner with me. Two, the restaurant helps the local community, particularly orphans, with food and donations," Peter said.

"You have a deal, son. It's like I always say, we help build this town because this town helped build us," Christopher replied.

What can we learn from this story?

• Don't take what you have for granted. Peter didn't realize how privileged he was until his allowances were removed.
• It's never too late to change your behaviour. Instead of giving up on himself when his father shunned him, Peter changed for the better and became a success because of it.

Share this story with your friends and family. It might inspire them and brighten their day.

Click here to read another story about an old lady that gifts expired lottery ticket to teenage girl who notices circled letters on it.

This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone's life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.