Virginia man claims lottery raffle prize

Jun 22, 2007, 2:01 pm (9 comments)

Virginia Lottery

Lynchburg has a new millionaire.

Donnie Taylor, a 60-year-old retired graphics technician, has claimed his $1 million prize in the Virginia Lottery's latest sweepstakes, the Millionaire Raffle.

(Millionaire Raffle results: https://www.lotterypost.com/specialresults/va-lottery-raffle-2007-06-14.asp)

He received his full check on Tuesday — with 25 percent going to federal taxes and four percent to state taxes, the actual amount paid to Taylor was $710,000.

"Some people would say, you know, he won $710,000," said John Hagerty, a spokesperson for the lottery. But, he said, "we (the Virginia Lottery) pay $1 million."

This is the biggest gold strike in Lynchburg since James Featherston's family won a $17.6 million jackpot in October 2003 and took a payout worth $4.85 million.

Taylor, who could not be reached for comment on Wednesday, told Virginia Lottery officials that he planned to use his winnings to help his family, particularly his five grandchildren.

"He said to me that he's not going to run out and buy a new car or anything extravagant," Hagerty said.

Taylor bought his $20 ticket at the Express Lane convenience store on Timberlake Road, where it intersects with Waterlick Road in Campbell County. The winning number: 169399.

"After I bought it, I didn't think anything about it," he told lottery officials.

The Lynchburg man is one of three winners in the Millionaire Raffle. The two other million-dollar awards — from tickets purchased in Waynesboro and Alexandria — have not been claimed.

Donnie Taylor of Lynchburg claimed his $1 million Tuesday.

Lynchburg News and Advance

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DoubleDown

WTG Mr. Taylor !

At least Virginia didn't gouge him on the taxes. 4% is pretty good in comparison to some other states...

qutgnt

When will the govt wake up and not tax us on games that are already highly taxed, i thought double taxation was illegal.  Especially the tax laws on horse racing etc, they are so antiquated. More payout and less taxes equals more revenues.  Instead of drumming up these new games that are just recycled old games. These raffles are a joke. You have the same odds per dollar that you normally have in a lotto game. And no lower prizes with the same crappy 50-60% payouts.  People will catch on in a few years and then the next spruced up same garbage game will come out.  

Stack47

Quote: Originally posted by DoubleDown on Jun 22, 2007

WTG Mr. Taylor !

At least Virginia didn't gouge him on the taxes. 4% is pretty good in comparison to some other states...

And he got the full check in 12 days. In some states they have to wait 2 months or longer.

nc6string

Quote: Originally posted by Stack47 on Jun 22, 2007

And he got the full check in 12 days. In some states they have to wait 2 months or longer.

I think I would be just as happy knowing the check is coming, as I would be when it actually arrives.  Kind of like if you had a job where they paid you $20,000, and you found a new one where you would be earning $50,000.  Without actually having earned the new salary yet, you would be quite thrilled.  Anticipation of an eventuality is its own form of excitement.

Badger's avatarBadger

"Some people would say, you know, he won $710,000," said John Hagerty, a spokesperson for the lottery. But, he said, "we (the Virginia Lottery) pay $1 million."

Nope.  To be a millionaire, one must have a million dollars.   What happens when the tax rate becomes 50% (as it will one day if we allow the politicians to do it) ?  I mean, other than the fact that the country will break apart and disappear?  SOmeone worth 500K will be considered a millionaire? How about 200K?  A million is a million.  The PTB already change the definitions of things to spin them the way they want too often. They need to stop it.

Great that the guy won.  But he's not a millionaire.

justxploring's avatarjustxploring

Badger, I agree that it's all marketing hype, but if he was retired at 60 he probably does have a net worth of over a million with this prize.  Most people don't retire when they've got a mortage and no money in an IRA.  Most of the time when people use the term "millionaire" they are talking about net worth, but many of those people aren't stinking rich.  There's a huge difference between someone with a net worth of $2 million and someone who has $10 million in the bank. 

I'd be very excited if I won $1 million no matter what anyone calls me!  Actually, I'd be happier if nobody calls me.  LOL      Smiley 

Badger's avatarBadger

Quote: Originally posted by justxploring on Jun 23, 2007

Badger, I agree that it's all marketing hype, but if he was retired at 60 he probably does have a net worth of over a million with this prize.  Most people don't retire when they've got a mortage and no money in an IRA.  Most of the time when people use the term "millionaire" they are talking about net worth, but many of those people aren't stinking rich.  There's a huge difference between someone with a net worth of $2 million and someone who has $10 million in the bank. 

I'd be very excited if I won $1 million no matter what anyone calls me!  Actually, I'd be happier if nobody calls me.  LOL      Smiley 

Oh sure, just -- I could live on a half-million at 5% per year plus a part time job of my liking until I get to be 65....I don't need to be owning a Lamborgini etc. LOL !  But to me, you are a millionaire when you have a million dollars.  Never mind the net worth. I just don't consider it valid unless the money is there in terms of definition.

A million bucks sin't what it used to be...I read a blurb some time ago that there are so many millionaires being created each year now, that the govt doesn't even follow them all like they used to do to keep track.  Instead, they now follow how many billionaires we have in the USA. It is no longer that unusual to be a millionaire.

Kinda sobering for the rest of us.

sirbrad's avatarsirbrad

I have lived on $5,000 a year before, so I could easily live off the interest of $500,000. I don't see why they continue being deceptive about jackpot amounts. Especially since the PA lottery seems to be advertising the after tax amount on the new treasure hunt game. Probably because it is already low to begin with.

$100 million just sounds more enticing than saying $35 million cash. The lottery may be paying out $100 million, or whatever the cash amount is, but it is still deception to those who think they will be getting $100 million right away.

Badger's avatarBadger

Quote: Originally posted by sirbrad on Jun 25, 2007

I have lived on $5,000 a year before, so I could easily live off the interest of $500,000. I don't see why they continue being deceptive about jackpot amounts. Especially since the PA lottery seems to be advertising the after tax amount on the new treasure hunt game. Probably because it is already low to begin with.

$100 million just sounds more enticing than saying $35 million cash. The lottery may be paying out $100 million, or whatever the cash amount is, but it is still deception to those who think they will be getting $100 million right away.

Yup, and it brings to mind something else.  I will never understand why people only seem to get excited in droves when the jp for a lottery goes over 100 million bucks. 

According to the latest studies I've heard, in the USA, if you have $500,000 of investments, it puts you in the top five percent of the population as far as wealth

That means you will have more money than 95% of the rest of the population.  Maybe because we get fed by the media all these shots of celebrities, athletes, etc that are multi-millionaires, that our populace in general thinks that there are millions and millions of multi-millionaires out there. But who can't be happy if they won a million bucks or two?  If you can't manage on such a "measly" sum, then you got a lot bigger problems than you know.....

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