Ever wondered what happens when ordinary people win extraordinary amounts of money? From buying cows to going fishing, these Mega Millions winners have some of the most amusing and heartwarming stories. Dive into the world of lottery winners and discover how their lives took unexpected turns after hitting the jackpot.
Ralph and Mary Stebbins: A Dental Clinic and a Cow
Eddie Nabors: From Truck Driver to Fishing Enthusiast
In March 2007, Eddie Nabors from Dalton, Georgia, shared the largest lottery prize in U.S. history at the time, a staggering $390 million, with another ticket holder from New Jersey. His winning numbers were 16-22-29-39-42, and the Mega Ball was 20. Nabors, a truck driver for Mohawk Industries, was in disbelief when he found out he had won. When asked how he planned to spend his winnings, he simply replied, “I’m gonna go fishing.” The CEO of Georgia Lottery, Margaret DeFrancisco, even gave him a pillow that said “Gone fishing” to pose with at the press conference. Nabors bought a new boat and planned to take it “everywhere.” TC World News
In April 2004, retired truck driver J.R. Triplett won a $239 million jackpot. At the press conference, his wife Peggy excitedly declared her plans to “shop ’til I drop.” Their story highlights the joy and excitement that comes with such a life-changing event.
Margaret Jones: A Bus Full of Celebrations
Margaret Jones, who won a $130 million jackpot in January 2005, made a grand entrance at the Atlanta headquarters. She hired a bus and brought along her family, relatives, and friends to celebrate her win. The group cheered and celebrated all the way to Atlanta and continued their jubilations during the press conference.
Stephen Cooke: Double the Luck
Bunky Bartlett: Mystical Plans
In August 2007, Bunky Bartlett from Dundalk, Maryland, shared a $330 million Mega Millions prize with a few other players. Bartlett, who worked at a new age store called Mystickal Voyage, planned to use his winnings to help expand the store and teach Reiki, a form of Japanese healing.
Stephen Moore: A Psychic Prediction?
Pat and Dick Warren: Charitable Hearts
Washington’s first Mega Millions winners, Pat and Dick Warren, donated a significant portion of their $93 million winnings to charities. The store that sold them the winning ticket, Swanson’s Market, gained a reputation for being lucky, attracting customers from far and wide.
Ticket Sales Frenzy in Virginia
A Journey Back to Laos
Washington’s second jackpot winners were a couple who emigrated from Laos. The wife, raised in an orphanage and later adopted by American parents, decided to use part of their winnings to return to Laos and search for her biological parents. Their story is a touching reminder of the personal journeys that lottery winnings can facilitate.