Lottery Winner's Plans? Paying the Bills

Apr 23, 2010, 2:03 pm (51 comments)

Powerball

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A Missouri man who won a $258 million Powerball jackpot and plans to use some of the money to pay bills, replace his two missing front teeth and take his children to Disney World said he hasn't decided whether he'll quit his job at the convenience store where he bought the winning ticket.

Chris Shaw — a 29-year-old tattooed father of three who was raised by his grandparents in rural southern Missouri — came forward Thursday as the winner of the 10th-largest Powerball jackpot ever. Shaw said he had just $28.96 in his bank account and recently bought a 1998 Ford Ranger from a friend who agreed to let him pay off the $1,000 price $100 at a time. Now, he said, he no longer has to worry about how he'll pay his friend — or his utility bills.

"We didn't come from money. For us it's just going to be a huge relief to know I'm going to be able to pay my electric bill, my gas bill," Shaw told The Associated Press. "It's like a weight lifted. I had bills at home I didn't know how they were going to be paid."

Shaw said he bought the $5 ticket Wednesday at the Break Time convenience store where he works in Marshall, a central Missouri town about 80 miles east of Kansas City. He accepted his ceremonial check at the Missouri Lottery headquarters in Jefferson City wearing a tan and red plaid shirt, a red hat and a huge grin — minus two front teeth he says he lost because he didn't take care of them but can now afford to have replaced.

"I'm just a regular guy working paycheck to paycheck ... well not any more," he said.

Shaw said he needed a few days to decide whether he will keep his minimum-wage job at the store where he has worked for just three weeks. He also plans to seek advice "from people who know about money" about whether to take the jackpot in 30 payments over 29 years or the lump-sum amount of $124,875,122.

His boss, Jackie Maxwell, general manager of the Missouri-based Break Time convenience store chain, was thrilled to hear Shaw had won.

"He's just a great guy, a good employee. When you think of a large winner like this, everyone likes to see that the person who won is somebody like Chris," she said in a telephone interview with the AP.

Shaw — who has a 10-year-old son, a 7-year-old girl and a 5-year-old girl by two different women — said he had played Missouri Scratchers lottery tickets before, winning at most $80. He checked his Powerball ticket against the state lottery's website only after his girlfriend, Tosha Ewry, told him the winning ticket was bought at the store where he works.

When Shaw called Ewry back to tell her the news, she thought he was joking, he said. Finally, he said he told her: "I swear on a stack of Bibles, you need to leave work and come home."

The winning numbers were 11-34-41-49-55, Powerball 20. The Power Play number was 2.

Shaw said he looks forward to spending more time with his kids, who live with their mothers about 240 miles southeast of him in his hometown of Alton, as well as with his girlfriend's two sons — 13-year-old and 15-year-old boys Shaw says he considers his own. He plans to take them all to Disney World in Florida.

"I can be with them as much as I want now," Shaw said.

He said his children already have been asking for new skateboards, bicycles and "just stuff that's really hard to do when you make $7.25 an hour."

Break Time will receive $50,000 for selling the winning ticket. If Shaw takes a lump-sum payment, the state income taxes due on the winnings would be about $6 million, state budget director Linda Luebbering said.

News story photo(Click to display in gallery)

AP

Comments

rdgrnr's avatarrdgrnr

I'm a big believer in the cash option but I think this guy should take the annuity.

If he can't decide whether to keep his $7.25 an hour job, he probably wouldn't handle all that cash too well either.

I wish him the best of luck though.

charmed7's avatarcharmed7

Very happy for Chris and his family, I hate that people made such a

big issue over his 2 front teeth. They was laughin at him on the

Kathie Lee and HODA show this mornin. 

Well Chris they won't b laughin at u now.

GOOD Luck with yur winnings.

Longarm

Quote: Originally posted by rdgrnr on Apr 23, 2010

I'm a big believer in the cash option but I think this guy should take the annuity.

If he can't decide whether to keep his $7.25 an hour job, he probably wouldn't handle all that cash too well either.

I wish him the best of luck though.

I believe in the annuity option for myself, at my age, but my concern in income taxes.  Rates are low now and will almost certainly rise in the future.  In Texas we have to choose the option when buying tickets, and I always choose the cash option if the annuity payments would much exceed $1,000,000.

He's going from a minimum wage job to ultra-high net worth.  He doesn't know how to be wealthy, but hopefully he'll learn quickly.

rdgrnr's avatarrdgrnr

He looks like a nice kid. You can't help but wish him the best.

I just hope he gets the kind of advice he needs.

I just know I'd probably be kind of dumb with that much money at his age.

(Truth be told, I'd still be kinda dumb with that much money at this age too but it'd be on purpose).

RJOh's avatarRJOh

If he sold the ticket to himself, he won't have to think about tipping the clerk that sold him the ticket.

grave

Quote: Originally posted by RJOh on Apr 23, 2010

If he sold the ticket to himself, he won't have to think about tipping the clerk that sold him the ticket.

true....

konane's avatarkonane

Quote: Originally posted by rdgrnr on Apr 23, 2010

He looks like a nice kid. You can't help but wish him the best.

I just hope he gets the kind of advice he needs.

I just know I'd probably be kind of dumb with that much money at his age.

(Truth be told, I'd still be kinda dumb with that much money at this age too but it'd be on purpose).

I Agree!   ROFL

I wish him only the best managing his new life!  Hurray!  Sun Smiley

grave

Quote: Originally posted by Longarm on Apr 23, 2010

I believe in the annuity option for myself, at my age, but my concern in income taxes.  Rates are low now and will almost certainly rise in the future.  In Texas we have to choose the option when buying tickets, and I always choose the cash option if the annuity payments would much exceed $1,000,000.

He's going from a minimum wage job to ultra-high net worth.  He doesn't know how to be wealthy, but hopefully he'll learn quickly.

yeah at my age too i would probably choose the annuity.....

DC81's avatarDC81

No annuity for me thanks but it'll be interesting to see where he's at in five years to see if he's gone even further into a lottery winner stereotype or not... He probably should have waited until he had things sorted out before coming forward because he's going to have all the crooks out there giving him their sound advice to bankruptcy. Then he's going to have "fun" of dealing with his exes he's had kids with (maybe some he hasn't) and other issues that will be coming his way. Best thing he can do now is get the hell out of town.

lotsbull

well that is great news always good to hear when folk's really needed the money ,now him and his family can live a better life cheers .Wink

Todd's avatarTodd

Quote: Originally posted by rdgrnr on Apr 23, 2010

I'm a big believer in the cash option but I think this guy should take the annuity.

If he can't decide whether to keep his $7.25 an hour job, he probably wouldn't handle all that cash too well either.

I wish him the best of luck though.

I definitely think he should take the annuity.  For a young guy it is perfect -- he would probably not come close to the rate of return Powerball gives on their annuity if he invested himself.  Plus, it doesn't require any self-discipline to maintain year after year.

Of course, many will disagree with me on this, but hey, that's why we have a forum here.

THRUST's avatarTHRUST

I am 32, I would take the cash option...always. That is just me though. He needs to do what is best for him. I just hope he really thinks this through and truly goes with his intentions...cause people will be pulling him in all sorts of directions...If I were him I would take time and get away from "the big win" for a bit and relax and think...do some homework. I'd hate to see him lose it all because of mistakes and trusting the wrong people.


Best of luck to him. Smiley

mjwinsmith's avatarmjwinsmith

Quote: Originally posted by Todd on Apr 23, 2010

I definitely think he should take the annuity.  For a young guy it is perfect -- he would probably not come close to the rate of return Powerball gives on their annuity if he invested himself.  Plus, it doesn't require any self-discipline to maintain year after year.

Of course, many will disagree with me on this, but hey, that's why we have a forum here.

I'm with you all the way on this.

(1) He is young

(2) He has young children, should something happen to him they can continue to get the money for the remainder of the annuity period.

Here's one dad that does'nt have to worry about saving up for college.

I Agree!

grave

Quote: Originally posted by Todd on Apr 23, 2010

I definitely think he should take the annuity.  For a young guy it is perfect -- he would probably not come close to the rate of return Powerball gives on their annuity if he invested himself.  Plus, it doesn't require any self-discipline to maintain year after year.

Of course, many will disagree with me on this, but hey, that's why we have a forum here.

I Agree! with ya toddThumbs Up

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