By Todd Northrop
A Tennessee couple that won a share of the $1.6 billion Powerball jackpot says they plan to return to their jobs after winning the mammoth prize.
At a press conference Friday, Tennessee Lottery president Rebecca Hargrove said that John and Lisa Robinson had the winning ticket and the lottery had verified it. The Robinsons are from Munford, Tennessee, a small town about 25 miles north of Memphis.
John and Lisa Robinson said they plan to pay off the mortgage on their small house, pay off their daughter Tiffany's student loans and go back to work. Lisa asked the press to stop visiting her place of employment — a doctor's office.
When an incredulous news reporter asked why return to work, Lisa Robinson replied, "Why not?" Her husband added, "That's what we've done all our lives."
The Robinsons said they are going to take the lump sum cash payout of $327,835,000 rather than the annuitized amount of $528.8 million because they are "not guaranteed tomorrow." They were unable to come up with anything that they would splurge some of their new cash on. John said he didn't want a bigger house because "you have to clean it."
"I am a little overwhelmed and excited," Lisa said during the press conference. "We just wanted a little piece of the pie, but instead we got a big piece."
According to Hargrove, it would take about 10 days for the Robinsons to receive their bank check, because the money for the jackpot has to flow from the states to the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL), and then finally to the Tennessee Lottery.
The Robinsons appeared with their daughter, their lawyer, and their dog at a news conference Friday at the Tennessee lottery headquarters after their winning ticket was verified by lottery officials.
John said he bought the winning ticket at his wife's request at the family-owned Naifeh's grocery on his way home from work, even though he wasn't feeling well. He bought four quick-pick tickets, one for each family member, then gave them to his wife and went to lie down when he got home. She stayed up to watch the Wednesday night drawing, carefully writing down the numbers.
Later, Lisa came running to the bedroom to wake up John, and he groggily verified that the numbers matched.
The couple said they have barely slept over the past 48 hours. They appeared on the "Today" show earlier Friday and said they had a winning ticket.
The Robinsons told "Today" that their attorney advised them to go on national TV first as a way of controlling the story. Lawyers who have represented lottery winners in the past said jackpot winners become targets when their identities are revealed and they are sometimes harassed or get talked into bad investments. Winners are also advised to talk seriously with experts in tax law, financial planning, privacy, security and other safeguards before they become known around the planet.
John said he was nervous after revealing his identity on the "Today" show.
"Actually, (I was) a little scared because I didn't know exactly what to do," he said. "I knew that I wanted to get an accountant. I knew that I wanted to get a lawyer and try to follow the procedures that they tell you to follow."
Tennessee lottery winners may not remain anonymous. Under the lottery policy, a person's name, home state and home town are a matter of public record.
Although the mainstream media has posted photos on the Internet of the Robinson's home, Lottery Post will refrain from doing that out of respect for the winners' privacy.
The other winning tickets from Wednesday's record Powerball jackpot were sold in Chino Hills, California, and Melbourne Beach, Florida. Those winners have not been announced yet.
(Click to display full-size in gallery)
(Click to display full-size in gallery)
Why even play, good luck going back to work. Give your jobs up to people who need them and enjoy
whatever life you have left. If You still want to work then do something that will add more jobs for the
rest of us. I just don't get some people, do something with it or give it all away to you favorite charity.
I really hope they change their minds after a couple weeks because they will most likely have to go into
hiding to get away from everyone asking for money.
RL
they are going back to work? why did they bother to play a lottery of this magnitude? they are going to be despised by their co-workers. those are 2 jobs that someone who needs them could have. hopefully their employers will show them the door on monday. these people are nuts personified. i hope they are hounded, harrassed, vilified every day. no one can defend their decision.
This. I shake my head at people who say this nonsense. I agree with you, why are they even playing? It seems like everyone who wins wants all of america to believe that the money will not change them and they will remain normal. It sounds good to say but not realistic. I personally feel if you're not ready for the attention and harassment you're going to get then don't play.
I was screaming at the computer when I watched the TODAY interview and the wife said she was headed back to work. Work is the LAST thing they need to be doing with this amount of money. They will learn VERY quickly that 'they can't return to work' and it has already started with the press going to her work.
Whats the over/under for when they bail on work and enjoy the money?
I got Tuesday!
it's going to be monday. no way can wherever they work accept them back. it will be way too distracting for the business to operate with these 2 clowns employed there. maybe the dog or daughter can find work but i doubt it.
I really hope they change their minds after a couple weeks because they will most likely have to go into
hiding to get away from everyone asking for money.
Lawyer could have done a trust or something not just throw them to the wolves like he did.
Although I wish them well, here's what they don't know but will soon learn;
It's hard for the super wealthy to know who their real friends are. All kinds of folks hit on you for money and deliver false pretenses on a regular basis. Charities hit you up like you were the prettiest girl at a ball otherwise filled with horny young males. 'Relatives' you never had approach you from nowhere. Old school non-chums want to reacquaint.
There is an old saying that the rich person in any family is despised. Many relatives don't understand why the wealth of one family member can't easily be shared to solve all their problems. It doesn't matter how much you do or don't give people, it won't be enough. G5
they are all so overweight so maybe they could start a diet workshop or gym business. even the dog is overweight.
Lisa asked the press to stop visiting her place of employment — a doctor's office.
Maybe in her excitement she isn't looking at the big picture. If she does go back to work, every day she'll have to deal with probably hundreds of people looking for handouts.
he's a warehouse supervisor. imagine working under him and taking orders from someone with 300 million in his pocket. i couldn't. i'd want to put arsenic in his lunch. she works for a dermatology doctor. i hope people call up and make appointments and then not show up resulting in her getting shown the door. if i hit the lottery the first thing i would do is buy both business's and can both their fat behinds.
Congrats to John and Lisa Robinson on their Power Ball win. I don't blame Lisa for asking the press not to come where she work. She work in a Doctors Office. The other people in her office are co- workers & ill patients that don't need the extra drama.
i agree. except for the congrats part. one way to get rid of the drama would be to get rid of her which i'm sure they will.
Yes these winners are moronic wanting to go back to work.
I can think of about 10,000,000 other things I'd rather do with my life than work if I won a jackpot. I'd have to get to work fixing my problems which I'd estimate would take two years, but once I was done with that, it would be time to have fun.
I think being incredibly dumb is a requirement to win & that's probably why I'm not winning.
I can't imagine what it must be like, but don't be so hard on them--no sleep, overwhelmed with the attention and the idea that they are super rich, small town folk....
I mean, the jealousy I can feel just from these posts, just imagine what it will be like at work for them. Can't blame them, they just wanted more money but not for their lives to change but, ain't gonna happen.
I work at home now out of necessity, but I tried imagining working at my old job (long-term health care) after I had won---lol, it would be crazy--I mean, the respiratory therapy company I used to work for has an ESOP (employee owned company stock) Know how much the ESOP fund has? About $80 million lol, I would have had enough to buy out the company after winning! and had plenty left over :)
Huge jackpots and wealth definitely comes with a price...they will not only have to quit work, but probably move out of town--so much for not wanting to buy a new house.
go back to work??????????????????????????? give me a break they will b working for nothing
with their tax bracket their paycheck will end up at about .11 cents a week take home.
they could never hide they have a charitible target on thier back
These 2 morons out to just give the money to charity and go back to work. WHAT A COUPLE OF FOOLS!!!! enjoy your life you idiots !!!
Charities hit you up like you were the prettiest girl at a ball otherwise filled with horny young males.
"Requests for donations must go through my financial advisor. Contact me directly again, and I blacklist your organization. There is no shortage of worthy causes in this world, and I prefer to donate to people who don't annoy me."
'Relatives' you never had approach you from nowhere.
This is the easy one. One of my hobbies is genealogy.
Old school non-chums want to reacquaint.
"If you weren't in my social circle then, you aren't now."
The lawyer told them to go on TV cause he wanted to be in the picture also...he wants a piece of the pie also...
in all fairness they are not giving "all" the money to charity. just to st. judes so far. the town they intend to stay in is hinting about needing new fire equipment. but no commitment on that from them yet. but they may. all they had to do was say they want to continue working but not for someone else. buy a business that is struggling and pump some of the money into it to keep others employed would have better than saying their staying at their previous jobs.
A big misconception here is that people are not going to hear her plea to be left alone. They have already
made some of the biggest mistakes that a new winner can make. They no doubt have hearts in the right
place but that won't do them any good in the real world. Money may not change them but you can bet it will
have an effect on everyone they already know and those who they will be meeting very soon.
RL
This shows that even professionals such as Lawyers are ignorant of the Lottery. They have no idea how much their clients lives will be changed. These two lucky people needed a top-flight lawyer who works with high net worth clients every day.
If they keep this attorney then they should hire a CFP, Certified Financial Planner who also can give them referrals to other professionals they now need.
I agree, they need a tax lawyer soon. They can discuss quarterly tax payments.
A CPA, Certified Public Accountant could answer any questions that the tax lawyer cannot answer.
Therapy to talk about the massive change in their lives. Marriage therapy for the culture shock they will live through.
This family will soon be residing in a gated community with security. They will have new friends who are as rich as they are.
no doubt they will come to their senses and move. but she says she doesn't want to clean a bigger house. these two are not the brightest bulbs in tenn and their lawyer should be disbarred for giving them bad advice.
They will hire maids, grounds keepers, pool service, etc.. Their new neighbors can fill them in on what they will need. Chef, personal trainers, and on and on...
Anyone who has ever been faced with greed will tell you it's an ugly monster. It can possess people who
were completely normal before. It's a evil spirit just waiting for someone to allow it room to operate. I
purchased 2 power-ball tickets during the big JP and was a bit afraid I might win. Next time I won't even
play. I don't want that kind of money, I like my life.
RL
The couple does sound a tad naive. Their comment re: going back to work - to me just sounded like they hadn't really thought about it and definitely had not been given direction as how to handle media questions. Shame on their lawyer.
Professional and Lawyer do not necessarily/frequently go together. Just because you scored well on the LSAT, sat through 3 years of classes, and tested well enough on the Bar - that only makes you Bar certified. It does not make you a professional or even a capable lawyer.
The joke that passes around every now and again: The law student who got A's is called "law professor", B's is called "judge", C's is called "lawyer". Just because you can add JD or esq to your name as title does NOT make you a good lawyer.
and it sounds as though they did NOT get a good one. Go on national T.V.? To let everyone in the US know your face - so there is no where you can go without many potentially knowing who you are? Seriously?
i'm sure they will have no choice but to move. not so sure rich and or professional people in a gated community will warm up and accept them. certainly won't socialize with them. their only option would be start their own smaller gated community in a cul-de-sac and fill it with their relatives. sort of a world among themselves. they'd have to spend a fortune (not an issue) and put a high fence around it with a security shack and gate manned 24 hours a day. that might work.