They Won Millions for Life. Until They Didn't.

他们为一生赢得了百万财富。直到他们没有。

The Journal.

2025-10-08

20 分钟
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单集简介 ...

In 2021, Tamar Veatch won millions of dollars in a sweepstakes competition run by Publishers Clearing House, the company best known for delivering oversized checks to winners. But then last April, Publishers Clearing House went bankrupt. WSJ’s Akiko Matsuda explains why the company went under, and what it means for winners like Tamar. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further Listening: - How ‘The Joker’ Rigged the Texas Lottery- How Parlays Became the Biggest Bet in Sports Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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单集文稿 ...

  • Have you ever wanted to get a giant check delivered to your door?

  • For decades, Americans across the country have wished for exactly that.

  • And thousands have had it come true.

  • The check would be delivered by a TV host wearing an orange tie.

  • All right, we're headed up to the house.

  • I don't see any cars in the driveway.

  • Let's see if she's home.

  • Hopefully she is.

  • He'd approach the winner's front door carrying balloons,

  • flowers, and followed by an entourage of TV cameras.

  • When they answered the door, he'd give them the good news.

  • And then, the host would hand the winner their ginormous check.

  • The company behind these sweepstakes is Publisher's Clearinghouse.

  • Over the course of decades,

  • they've given away hundreds of millions of dollars to thousands of Americans,

  • giant checks and all, making their dream of winning big a reality.

  • But earlier this year, Publisher's Clearinghouse went under.

  • Well, it's the end of the line for Publisher's Clearinghouse.

  • The decades-old sweepstakes company has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

  • And for a handful of winners, That dream of making millions went up in smoke.