How the high life laid R10m Lotto winner low
Former cop describes his wild descent from riches to rags
JUST two days before pay day, policeman Dayalin Maslamoney borrowed R200 to buy food and a Lotto ticket.
A few hours later, his life changed — but it was a change he has come to rue.
The R40 QuickPick lottery ticket, bought on Saturday April 18 2009, won him R10.4-million.
From earning R8 000 a month after deductions, he was suddenly as rich as Croesus. Then almost as quickly he was poor again.
“I started drinking expensive whisky — from drinking Black & White whisky [which costs about R100] to Johnnie Walker Black Label and Hennessy [average cost R300] — wearing designer-label clothing, dining on seafood in some of the finest restaurants and driving fancy cars,” he said.
He took immediate leave from work. On the Monday after the Saturday windfall, he deposited the money in his bank account.
He and his wife, Reena Pillay, “immediately withdrew R10 000 to repay someone who had given us R3 000 to get to Durban to claim my winnings”.
The couple went on a shopping spree, snapping up clothes without giving price tags even a second glance.
“We thought we were dreaming . . . every day was braais and drinks with friends.”
Maslamoney resigned as a warrant officer after 18 years of service. He gave R300 000 equally to the couple’s siblings and their parents. He settled debts of more than R80 000 and contributed about R100 000 to renovations of a church and R80 000 to build a community soup kitchen.
“When people asked for a few rands, I just handed it out.”
The couple paid R12 000 to rent a luxury beachfront cottage for a month on KwaZulu-Natal’s South Coast.
They bought a three-bedroom R1.7-million house in Chase Valley, one of Pietermaritzburg’s most sought-after suburbs — and paid cash for it.
I regret winning the money. We were happier with the little money I earned as a policeman
The house was filled with designer furniture and the driveway contained a fleet of cars worth R1.5-million.
“We decided to pay cash for everything,” said Maslamoney.
They hired an interior decorator for R90 000 and spent another R1-million on furniture, a spa bath and koi pond with a footbridge.
Their monthly household expenses included R4 500 for municipal services and rates, R3 000 for a domestic worker, R2 500 for a gardener, R1 000 for a swimming pool service and R2 000 for their five dogs.
Maslamoney later invested R2.5-million in a chicken outlet franchise, but he lost everything when he did not abide by the franchise’s rules.
“I sold the business at a loss for R1.3-million [and] after paying off debts, I was left with R700 000.
“I ran the business for two years before I was forced to sell when I breached my franchise agreement,” he said.
When the excitement of spending the money wore off, Maslamoney became bored and turned to alcohol, which took a toll on his marriage.
His wife moved out.
“I was drinking heavily [and] my wife left to live with her mother and she filed for divorce.”
He invested a portion of the R700 000 in two video stores, which quickly folded.
His champagne lifestyle came to an end in August last year.
He had lost his cars, which at one point included a Range Rover, Nissan Navara and Golf 1 Velocity. He had also given a Nissan 370Z and Golf 6 to his wife, which she still has — but he now drives a Toyota Tazz. The house has also been sold. “I regret winning the money . . . we were happier with the little money I earned as a policeman. Money split my family,” he said.
Attempts to get comment from Pillay were unsuccessful.
On Tuesday, Maslamoney appeared in the Pietermaritzburg District Court with co-accused Zaheer Khan, 35, on charges of impersonating police officers and stealing R250.
The case was adjourned to March 17. Khan is in custody and Maslamoney is out on bail of R2 000.