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Abstract
On September 20, 2003, twenty-nine individuals became overnight millionaires as the Powerball ticket purchased by the group was one of two winning tickets drawn that night for half of a record $120 million jackpot. Twenty-eight of the twenty-nine individuals were employed by a plastic manufacturing plant in Trenton, Ohio. They were the largest group to win a sizable jackpot at that time, and became known as the Trenton 29. How do individuals construct a new identity and social community following such an event? This ethnographic case study conducted in 2006 attempted to answer that question with data collection through personal interviews with fifteen of the winners. The growth of commercialized gambling in recent years has significantly increased opportunity for sudden wealth with widespread participation throughout the culture. Any adult with a dollar in hand can now become a multi-millionaire. Instant riches may be the dream, but the reality has a price. This study uncovered a widespread lack of preparation for wealth within blue collar society, resulting in mismanagement, overspending, hoarding, unhappiness, anxiety and physical discomfort for some members of the newly rich. Further, becoming instantly rich poses a serious challenge to self identity as individuals instantly re-invent role identity. Finally, sudden wealth thrusts individuals into a cultural conflict. People who believe in the Puritan philosophy of financial success through hard work are suddenly financially successful through no more effort than throwing in a dollar for a drawing. As a result, they are forced to create a new community that integrates prosperity by luck or random chance with hard work and effort. Creating a new community in the aftermath of sudden wealth can be a challenging task.
