Illustration: Materialism

It should have been the opportunity of a lifetime for ex-con, Abraham Shakespeare. In 2006, he won $30 million in the Florida lottery. He didn't think the money would change him. Just three years later, his body was found in the back yard of a friend's home. While the friend has not been charged with Abraham's murder, she was charged as an accessory.

People know how he spent much of his life. According to news accounts, he had been in juvenile hall as a teen, was arrested for assault, had children by different women, got behind on child support and went to jail. Police are patching together information as to how he spent his last three years. He handed out wads of cash, some of it in gigantic amounts--$250,000 to $1,000,000. He met a woman who claimed she wanted to write a book about his life. They got involved in financial dealings together. She ended up buying his mansion. He ended up buried in the back of her home. The last word has yet to be said about this strange case. 
We know enough now to ponder the fact that money not only cannot buy happiness; it can, if handled irresponsibly, cause gigantic troubles.