Millionaire senator wins $853K in lottery

Oct 20, 2005, 9:40 pm (29 comments)

Powerball

You might not expect the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee to go around buying lottery tickets, but Sen. Judd Gregg is glad he did.

On a whim prompted by the frenzy over Wednesday's $340 million Powerball jackpot, the New Hampshire Republican bought a ticket that matched five of the six numbers in the Powerball game.

He collected a $853,492 check Thursday.

Gregg spent $20 on tickets this week at a Washington gas station, allowing the ticket machine to generate his numbers at random. As he was leaving, a clerk ran after him because he had left one of the tickets behind.

"She was a very pleasant young woman. She might have kept it and for all I know it might have been the winning ticket," Gregg said during a news conference conducted by telephone.

The lawmaker said he doesn't buy lottery tickets often but was intrigued by the publicity surrounding the huge jackpot. "Every American believes in good fortune and good luck and I'm no different," he said.

Gregg, 58, said he will donate part of his winnings to the Hugh Gregg Foundation, which supports New Hampshire charities and is named after Gregg's late father, a former governor of New Hampshire.

And the rest?

"Whatever my wife tells me to do with it?" he joked.

According to his latest financial disclosure form, Gregg has between $1.5 million and $6.2 million in stocks and other major investments.

The only jackpot-winning ticket was sold in Jacksonville, Ore. The holder of the ticket did not immediately step forward to claim the largest jackpot in Powerball history and the second-biggest in U.S. history.

Gregg's ticket was one of 49 that matched five of the six numbers.

AP

Comments

bellyache's avatarbellyache

And the rich get richer. lol.

Bradly_60's avatarBradly_60

haha...that is funny....shows people that lotteries are bad to play....they are a form of entertainment...just like watching movies and a sports game.

Brad

shalini

And the rich get richer. lol.

I Agree!

sirbrad's avatarsirbrad

Yea typical, and the poor get poorer as usual.

LOTTOMIKE's avatarLOTTOMIKE

Yea typical, and the poor get poorer as usual.

to make money you have to have money.thats why its easier for the rich to get richer.the poor can't even get out of the starters gate.....

Smkkm1

Its a system.....They know how to keep the poor people poor and not let them pass that damn gate.....sooooo yeah

shalini

Well I've decided that should I ever by some quirk of fate win a fair amount, I would definitely like to spend a certain percentage on the poor...especially children as I've really seen poor children suffer here.

I help out with some charities and it can be really frustrating to have to constantly and literally beg for donations..it seems the more one has sometimes, the less they can part with it.

The senator has very good kismet.

JAG331

It's nice to know that Powerball doesn't discriminate.

Rip Snorter

Lucky guy.

Jack

Todd's avatarTodd

It's nice to know that Powerball doesn't discriminate.

I Agree! 

nomoneybabe

Have a nice day ! and congratulations to Mr. senatorPatriot

bellyache's avatarbellyache

I think it's great that he won. It looks like my comment came off like I was being serious and jealous, but it was a joke. (I thought the lol pointed that out.) I think anyone that puts a buck in has the same chance of winning as anyone else and that's how it should be.

CASH Only

I'm not a Republican but I would vote for him because he supports Powerball. Congrats Sen Gregg!

mylollipop's avatarmylollipop

The key to winning money is having money.  Money attracts money!Poke.  Now who has got money to donate to attract the big jackpots?!?!?!

Subscribe to this news story