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$337M Powerball winner plans to keep it real
Donald Lawson intends to do the typical lottery-winner stuff: Retire, take care of his family, travel, get a new place to live.
But the 44-year-old Michigan man insists his $337 million Powerball prize - the third-largest in Powerball history, and seventh-largest jackpot in U.S. history - won’t change him.
“I’m a millionaire now, but I’ll still go to McDonald’s,” Lawson told reporters Friday at the Michigan Lottery headquarters in Lansing, where he came forward to collect on the August 15 drawing. “I don’t like filet mignon or lobster. I like the simple life, and that’s what I want to continue to do.”
Lawson, of Lapeer, was the sole winner of the August 15 prize. He chose the lump-sum cash option, which gives him $224.6 million, before tax, at once.
He said he quit his railroad engineer job after learning he won. He said he chose the winning numbers - 6, 27, 46, 51, 56 with a powerball of 21 - himself at a Sunoco gas station in Lapeer.
“I walked into the … station, and usually there ain’t nobody up there, but there was a long line. But something from above - I do have to credit that - told me to go over there and pick my own numbers. I didn’t pick them - my hand just went,” Lawson said.
Lawson said his two children will now be set for college, and he told his close relatives to retire, “and they had no problem with that.”
He said he plans to travel a lot, but for now, he’s going to “go somewhere safe and think about (what to do) and go from there.”
“This money won’t last forever unless I use it right and budget it right. It’s not a lot, $337 million,” he joked, drawing laughter, before addressing the issue of taxes. “You all think it’s tremendous amount, but I’m kind of pissed at Uncle Sam … you know?”
Eight other tickets won the $1 million Match 5 prize on August 15. Two of those tickets were bought in Indiana, and the others in Kansas, Kentucky, New Jersey, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Virginia, lottery officials said.
The game's largest prize to date was $365 million, which was awarded in 2006 to a group of eight co-workers at a Nebraska meat-packing plant.
That record drawing happened when the cost for a Powerball ticket was $1. In January, the price increased to $2, with officials saying it would lead to an increased number of large jackpots. At the same time, the odds improved somewhat because officials reduced the number of red balls, the powerballs, from 39 to 35.
At $337 million, the Powerball pot still has ways to go to catch MegaMillions at the top of the list of U.S. grand prizes. In March, three tickets were sold for a drawing with the top prize of $656 million.
- CNN's Chris Boyette contributed to this report.
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His mother will help him spend that.
Good for him..I always like to see the working class win.
Wolf down lt col
If I won I'd buy a pet monkey. And maybe that girl from Friends. The pretty one.
I hope someone tells him to stop eating at McDonalds. Not because he wants to keep it real, but because he'll die before he enjoys his money. Why go to McDonalds as keeping it real anyways? Buy a decent but inexpensive grill and just buy hamburger meat and cook them yourself. THAT would be keeping it real in my opinon.
I agree, stop eating at McDonalds, you can finally afford to eat healthy.
This way you will live long enough to do something good with all that money.
'Really like this guy, except for his suggestion that it was God who picked his numbers. Please... how can anyone believe that God is going to choose the lottery winners? Give me a break...
No one cares what you think. If you're so against God then stop using that money his name is on.
You would be surprised hwo many magical minded people there are and that vote. Look at the guy above this post....he thinks our money was printed by God......case in point
@ Richard Stoker: Where in my post did I suggest that I am "against God"? What I suggest, and am certain of, is that God is not going to intervene in the lotteries and decide who's going to be the winner. The notion of it is an absurdity. Else, no one should participate in the lottery unless they are moved by God or the Holy Ghost – in which case, there'd be only one player – and no mega jackpot....
Yeah right, in 5 year time this guy will be living on Park Avenue and partying with JZ
Good luck and remember it's a gift to change not only your life but as many others as you can!
giv eme a break
Broke in ten years
Lucky guy – he had a job that he can now quit. I would be happy to have a JOB.
Good luck! I was in your position a year ago and had been out of work for 2 yrs even though I have 2 degrees so I know how hard it is.
Since he just quit, perhaps you can go get his.
You could always move to Alberta, Canada. Up here there are 10 jobs to every person. You could quit your job today, walk down the street and have another $80,000/yr (or more) job in very short order.
Alberta is the place to be.
I'm jealous!
If I won that kind of money I would buy Idaho, name myself King, and then invade Wyoming and rename the whole territory in my honor.....
Hilarious post!!! Love it!
dis a good story – an aberage mens win dis – awestum!!!!
he needs someone to keep him honest and invest the money well or he will go bankrupt in 10-15 years.
eat more viddles, dot your i`s & cross your tees. we need a lottery that shares more of the wealth in smaller winning pots, this would help a cash strapped economy. say no to large payouts so more people could win something. pass me some more of them viddles` if you don`t mind, you all hear?