$560 million lottery winner can remain anonymous

This is the best headline I’ve seen in a while: “Call Her Jane Dough: New Hampshire Lottery Winner Can Stay Anonymous, Court Says.”

Here’s the story: A woman who won the $560 million Powerball in January signed her ticket with her name, as required. Per state lottery rules, this act made her name a matter of public record.

She learned later that if she had signed her ticket with the name of a trust, she could have kept her identity secret. But lottery officials wouldn’t let her make the change. So she went to court, asking to keep her name out of the headlines.

“Her heart is in the right place”

Jane Doe was right to be concerned.

Forbes describes numerous horror stories involving past lottery winners: Craigory Burch was killed during a home invasion in Georgia after winning $430,000 in the state lottery; Andrew “Jack” Whittaker was victimized numerous times by thieves after winning $315 million; Urooj Khan was found dead of a cyanide-induced heart attack in Chicago after the check was cashed for his $1 million scratch-off win.

On Monday, the Hillsborough County Superior Court Southern District gave Jane Doe another win, ruling that she could keep her anonymity. The judge did determine that the name of her town could be released, however.

According to her attorney, “She was jumping up and down. She will be able to live her life normally.”

Here’s the good news for the rest of us: while Jane Doe remains anonymous, her works have not. Immediately upon receiving her lump sum of $264 million after taxes, she donated $150,000 to Girls Inc. of New Hampshire and $33,000 to each of three New Hampshire chapters of End 68 Hours of Hunger. Her benevolence has also brought increased awareness to these charities.

Her attorney was not surprised: “What little I can say is that she and her family have had a long-standing commitment to their community and are thrilled to be able to enhance their impact through targeted philanthropy for…