Lisa Robinson described the moment she realized they had the winning ticket, while her husband napped on the couch. Both plan to return to work Monday, they said.
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She lives across the street from the family and had no idea they had won.
The Robinsons said they are taking the lump sum, which is $328 million.
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.
The lump sum payout is about $327 million.
The couple revealed their plans to pay off their mortgage and their daughter’s college loans at a press conference, which their daughter, Tiffany, and their rescue dog, Abby, also attended.
“We’re very happy for them”, Mary Sue said. Two other winning tickets were bought in California and Florida. Those winners have not been announced yet.
The Robinson family made the announcement on the Today Show Friday before confirming the tickets with Tennessee lottery officials, but NBC conducted an independent verification to prove the match.
Robinson said earlier in an appearance on NBC’s “Today” show that he and his wife, Lisa, want to help out certain friends, give to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, and donate to their church.
The Robinsons appeared on a morning network show in New York Friday morning with Memphis attorney Joe Townsend ahead of flying to Nashville to have their ticket verified.
John Robinson said that although he did not feel well, he bought the ticket at a local grocery store at his wife’s request on Wednesday night, just hours before the drawing.
Bullfin said she didn’t know them personally and it was a national TV crew who told her first thing Friday morning.
Balbir Atwal owner of the California 7-11 that sold the winning Powerball ticket, smiles at his store in Chino Hills, Calif., on Thursday, Jan. 14, 2016. They did not stop to talk to reporters and were led to a back room to have their ticket looked at.
The headquarters are located in a large office building.
“Now I’ll be nervous because everybody knows”, Mr Robinson said.
In California, any winnings not claimed within a year automatically go to the state’s schools.
The mayor of a small Tennessee town where one of three winning Powerball jackpot tickets was sold says he knows the couple who claims they won.
“My first thought was, I’ve always wanted a horse”, she said.
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“They’re small-town people who appreciate community, appreciate family values”.
