A 51-year-old man who won €88 million in Italy’s SuperEnalotto is being sued by his estranged wife who claims that half the lottery win belongs to her.
The man, originally from Caserta, scooped the lottery prize while in Rome on business last week.
He bought the winning ticket for €3 at a tobacconist in the northern suburb of La Giustiniana. He won exactly €88,232,801.88.
What should have been a dream come true has turned into a legal dispute with his estranged wife, a 45-year-old beautician from Rovigo. The wife is now demanding €44 million.
The couple were already in the process of separating due to marital issues. The woman hired a private investigator who discovered that her husband had been cheating on her.
The man allegedly hid the news of his bumper lottery win from his wife who found out about it by reading phone messages he had exchanged with his sister, Il Messaggero newspaper reports.
The article states the couple were in a “comunione dei beni matrimonial regime”. Under this regime, both spouses equally own all assets and goods they purchase after marriage.
The woman’s lawyers reportedly claim that despite the break-up, the couple were not yet divorced at the time of the lottery win. This would mean the €88 million jackpot falls under shared assets.
According to Il Messaggero, the man’s lawyers argue he had long since left the marital home and the separation had already been agreed verbally.
The winnings “would therefore represent a personal event subsequent to the actual end of the marriage”, the article states.
The woman has now taken legal action, requesting €5,000 per month in alimony or a one-off payment of €44 million. The case is now before the courts.
