Liu Xiang won the equivalent of around $700,000 in China’s national lottery, but before he went to collect his winnings, he promptly divorced his wife, Yuan Li.
It was in February when Xiang hit the jackpot, and then he initiated the divorce with his wife, but he failed to tell her he won money. Days later he went to pick up his winnings.
The marriage began to break down back in 2013, which is when Liu started to see a former partner. The two stayed married, but they separated last year.
Yuan was taken back when her ex-husband requested a hurried divorce, but he did offer to cover their debts. She felt like she couldn’t refuse, so she went ahead and signed the divorce agreement.
However, Yuan’s friend called her on the phone and they congratulated her and Xiang on the win. That was when she found out that he had won the lottery.
According to Liu, it was a coincidence that he claimed his win the day following the divorce.
Yuan decided to sue her husband, and a court sided with her. She didn’t get what she originally asked for, which was half of the winnings. The court awarded her a quarter of Xiang’s winnings.
