Lisa and John Robinson of Munford, Tennessee, revealed on the television show on Friday that they held a winning ticket to claim their share of the US$1.6 billion (NZ$2.43 billion) Powerball prize.
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“Actually I was on way home from work, and she had called me and said, ‘Are you going to stop and get a couple lottery tickets?”.
When even the “Today” show anchors said they were nervous for the Robinsons walking around NY with the ticket, Lisa Robinson said: “You can help escort us out”.
She stayed up to watch Wednesday night’s draw, carefully writing down the numbers.
But since you didn’t win the Powerball, take comfort in knowing that the story of John and Lisa Robinson, multimillionaires, has everything a good lotto story should. “And I called and eventually got passed up the line and talked to a producer and they were, rightly, a little suspicious, but we talked through it and decided to make it happen”.
He admitted: “I checked them four times and said: ‘I’ll believe it when the news comes on in the morning and they say hey, there’s a victor been in Munford'”. They made a decision to take his winnings in a single lump sum of almost $328 million, rather than let the Lottery invest the prize and pay him 30 annual installments totaling an estimated $533 million.
Neither Bragg nor the Robinsons have turned in their tickets to lottery officials for confirmation. But Idaho had plenty of prize-winning tickets.
The couple has a son, Adam, who works as an electrician, and a daughter, Tiffany, who lives nearby in her late grandparents’ home.
If their ticket is verified, the Robinsons will be splitting the $1.6 billion jackpot with two other winners – one in California and one in Florida.
When his wife saw the winning numbers, she said, she ran down the hallway to wake her husband.
John Robinson works as a warehouse supervisor and his wife is employed at a dermatologist’s office. He gave his wife the tickets and went to sleep.
Moments after it was announced the Atwal’s 7-Eleven sold the winning ticket, throngs of people gathered celebrating outside the store.
$1.6 Billion Powerball Jackpot: What we know about the 3 winners – The mystery winners of America’s world-record $1.6 billion Powerball jackpot have suddenly become famous across the globe.
Munford Mayor Dwayne Cole said he knows the Robinsons and does not think they will squander their money.
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The couple is speaking out even before they present the ticket to lottery officials.
