Michael Larson - Later Years

Later Years

Part of Larson's winnings went to taxes and another part was invested in real estate, with the remainder placed into Larson's bank account. The real estate deal turned out to be a fraudulent Ponzi scheme and Larson lost his investment entirely.

In November 1984, Larson then learned about a local radio show promotion promising a $30,000 prize for matching a $1 bill's serial number with a random number read out on the air. Over several days, Larson withdrew his remaining winnings in $1 bills, examined each dollar carefully, and (upon discovering that he did not have the winning number) re-deposited all the money. Teresa Dinwitty stated that this obsession consumed him.

At one point, Larson and Dinwitty left to attend a Christmas party, leaving approximately $40,000 in bagged $1 bills in the house. Upon returning, they found that the house had been broken into, and the money stolen. Larson angrily accused Dinwitty of some involvement; Dinwitty, already angered with Larson's antics, promptly left him. In an interview Larson gave with TV Guide in 1994, he said that he called the producers of Press Your Luck after losing all of his remaining money, challenging them to hold a tournament of champions to see if he could break the bank again. The producers declined.

In 1994, the film Quiz Show was released and, as part of the renewed discussion on game show scandals, Larson appeared on ABC's Good Morning America. By this time, Larson had been diagnosed with throat cancer, and his voice was noticeably weakened. Shortly thereafter, Larson got involved with an illegal scheme to sell part of a foreign lottery. As a result, Larson went on the run, leaving Ohio. His family was contacted by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Internal Revenue Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, but no one knew his whereabouts.

Larson died of throat cancer on February 16, 1999, in Apopka, Florida. Only after his death did his family find out where he had been living.

In the early-2000s, a biopic was planned, with Bill Murray set to portray Larson. Those plans eventually fell through.