'AITA for refusing to share my lottery winnings with family after being excluded from trip?'

The Internet is supporting the woman who chose not to share her life-changing lottery winnings with her family after being excluded from a trip. The story was shared by the original poster (OP) on Reddit's popular forum "Am I The A**hole" (AITA) forum.

The Reddit post quickly gained attention, with over 25K upvotes and more than 5K comments.

OP refuses to give lottery winnings to family who left her out of vacation plans

In the post titled "AITA for refusing to give my lottery winnings to my family after they excluded me from a family trip?", the OP explained, "I (28F) come from a family of five—my parents, my two siblings (30M, 25F), and me. Growing up, I was always the 'black sheep.' My siblings were the golden children, and while I wasn't outright ignored, I definitely got the short end of the stick."

She continued, “A few months ago, my family planned a big overseas trip. I found out through my sister’s Instagram posts, not from them directly. When I asked why I wasn’t included, my mom said, 'We didn’t think you’d want to come, and besides, we’re tight on budget.' It hurt, but I let it go."

"Fast forward to a month ago, I bought a lottery ticket on a whim and ended up winning a life-changing amount—over $2 million. I decided to use the money wisely, paid off debts, invest, and set aside some for fun. I didn’t tell my family right away because I didn’t want them to treat me differently."

However, things took a turn when OP bought a new car, and news of her win spread.

"My mom said it’s selfish to keep all that money to myself when they’re struggling (news to me, given the vacation). My sister hinted that I should pay for her student loans, and my brother outright asked me to buy him a house."

The OP calmly explained, "I wasn’t obligated to share just because we're related, especially given how they’ve treated me in the past. I mentioned the trip as an example of how I’ve been excluded. My dad said, 'That was different; this is family money.'"

"Now they’re all calling me an ungrateful brat and saying I’m ruining the family dynamic. AITA for standing my ground and not giving them any money?" the OP asked.

Internet backs woman who called out family for excluding her from trip

People on Reddit supported the woman and said she was "not the a**hole" for refusing to give her lottery winnings to her family. 

One social media user wrote, "NTA. This is not 'family money.' It’s your money. I’d suggest cutting them off, they’ll probably just keep harassing you for money. They’re just here to use you."

Another added, "Exactly, your family sounds like real opportunists. It’s your money, not theirs, and they don’t deserve anything from you."

One person pointed out, “They seem less of a family and more of AHs who want to reap where they did not sow, NTA."

Another asked, "Is OP not family? Oh, yeah, they're the scapegoat family member to be overlooked and forgotten unless they need something from them. NTA."

One individual noted, “NTA. You won the money. It’s yours to do with as you please. Even without the mistreatment, they aren’t entitled to your winnings.”

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.