The West Virginia man who won the $314.9 million Powerball jackpot looks suspiciously like Johnny Cash doesn’t he? Then again, his response to winning was priceless:
"I just want to thank God for letting me pick the right numbers, or letting the machine pick the right numbers for me."
That’s the most literal deus ex machina I’ve ever seen. Still , Mr. Whittaker seems to have his heart in the right place, using the funds to help his family, his church, and rehire employees he had to let go of earlier. If only every lottery winner would use their new-found fortune so well.
Also, the government will be taking nearly 2/3rds of his winnings in taxes. Just as a thought, if the government gets that much money from you in one take, the least they should do is name a bridge after you. Or in my case, a cruise missile…
Try 1/3 Jay. Last I checked it was about 35%. Unless this guy decides to go and buy half a state’s worth in property he shouldn’t go much over.
I’m just pissed my selection of 1-2-3-4-5 didn’t win. And after explaining to 99.9999% of people that I know who don’t understand basic probability that I have just as much chance of not winning as they do. In fact moreso, as I’ve used these numbers twice now. 🙂
Actually, his payout was only $114M or so, meaning the government got 64% of it. Then again, $114 million bucks isn’t such a bad haul… although I’d still demand the cruise missile…