1. Urooj Khan Chicagoan Urooj Khan found out the hard way that the lottery isn't always a winning game. And he wouldn't need a single ticket more after he revealed a $1 million jackpot on the ticket. Khan chose to cash out the reward in one lump sum instead of installments, waiting for his $425,000 check from the state. The check was issued on July 19, but Khan wouldn't have the chance to cash it — he was pronounced dead the very next day.