Mechanic and his wife are Missouri winners of $588M Powerball jackpot

Nov 30, 2012, 5:04 pm (82 comments)

Powerball

DEARBORN, Mo. — Cindy Hill, a laid-off office manager who lives in a small town in Missouri, called her husband Thursday with urgent news that would change everything: "We won the lottery."

"What?" he asked.

"We won the lottery," she repeated. But Mark Hill, a 52-year-old mechanic who works at a meat processing plant, is the kind of person who carefully checks the prices for everything he buys, and he needed proof. This is the "Show-Me State" after all.

He drove to his mother's house, where his wife was waiting with their quick-pick ticket, and confirmed for himself that the numbers matched those drawn for a record $588 million Powerball jackpot that they'll share with an unknown winner who bought a ticket in Arizona.

Missouri lottery officials officially introduced the Hills as winners Friday in front of reporters and townspeople gathered at the high school in Dearborn, which is about 40 miles north of Kansas City. The announcement was not a surprise. The Hills' name began circulating Thursday, soon after lottery officials said a winning ticket had been sold at a Trex Mart gas station and convenience store on the edge of town.

The Hills chose to take their winnings in a lump sum, not annual payments. Lottery officials estimated the cash payment at about $385 million, or about $192.5 million for each ticket.

The oversized novelty check handed to the Hills on Friday was written in the amount of $293,750,000, but Missouri Lottery spokeswoman Susan Goedde said that after taxes, they will receive about $136.5 million.

"We're still stunned by what's happened," said Cindy Hill, 51, who was laid off in June 2010. "It's surreal."

The couple have three grown sons and a 6-year-old daughter they adopted from China five years ago. They said they are now considering a second adoption with their winnings, and they plan to help other relatives, including their grandchildren and nieces and nephews, pay for college. They're planning vacations, and their daughter, Jaiden, wants a pony. Mark Hill has his eye on a red Camaro.

More immediately, they're preparing for "a pretty good Christmas" and anticipating an onslaught of requests for financial help.

"When it's that big of a Powerball, you're going to get people coming out of the woodwork, some of them might not be too sane," Cindy Hill said. "We have to protect our family and grandkids."

The jackpot was the second-largest in U.S. history and set off a nationwide buying frenzy, with tickets at one point selling at nearly 130,000 per minute. The other winning ticket was sold at 4 Sons Food Store in Fountain Hills near Phoenix. No one has come forward with it yet, lottery officials said.

Before Wednesday's drawing, the jackpot had rolled over 16 consecutive times without someone hitting the jackpot.

Myron Anderson, pastor of the Baptist Church in nearby Camden Point, said he heard Thursday that the Hills had won the huge prize. Anderson said he has known Mark Hill since they attended high school together.

"He's a really nice guy, and I know his wife, and they have this nice little adopted daughter that they went out of their way to adopt," Anderson said. Funeral services for Hill's father were at the Baptist church, but the family attends church elsewhere, he said.

"I hope it's good news for them," Anderson said. "I've heard awful horror stories about people who get all that money in their lap and how everybody treats them, and if you don't mind me saying, I mean just the fact that the press is going to be after them."

Kevin Bryan, a lifelong Dearborn resident, said the only other local lottery winner he could remember was a farmer who won about $100,000 in scratch-off game years ago "and bought himself a combine."

In a Mega Millions drawing in March, three ticket buyers shared a $656 million jackpot, the largest lottery payout of all time.

AP

Comments

Original Bey's avatarOriginal Bey

The tables have definitely turned in their favor. The wife who was laid off is now in a position to hire and fire.

 

Congrats to the family!!!

 

Party

Cletu$2's avatarCletu$2

                                  PartyCongratulations,Mr. & Mrs.Hill.Party

gonnawinwatchme's avatargonnawinwatchme

Ive been saying it all day and shaking my head.  These people are idiots.  They should've taken their time and gotten their financial team together and claimed it in a trust.  They just painted huge targets on their backs and their childrens' backs.  I feel sorry for them.

whiteballz's avatarwhiteballz

they should have left their daughter out of the press conference. She might become a target to be kidnapped and ransomed.

mcginnin56

Quote: Originally posted by gonnawinwatchme on Nov 30, 2012

Ive been saying it all day and shaking my head.  These people are idiots.  They should've taken their time and gotten their financial team together and claimed it in a trust.  They just painted huge targets on their backs and their childrens' backs.  I feel sorry for them.

Cut them some slack, it's their money to do with as they please.

I'm very happy for them.

gonnawinwatchme's avatargonnawinwatchme

Quote: Originally posted by mcginnin56 on Nov 30, 2012

Cut them some slack, it's their money to do with as they please.

I'm very happy for them.

I could care less how they spend their money.  I just think it was incredibly irresponsible and careless of them to not claim it in a trust.  For goodness sakes, they had their 5-6 year old little girl on national tv?!?  I feel bad for them for all of the hounding/kidnapping threats that are coming their way.  It could've been prevented.  It was obviously more important to them to have a press conference than to protect their family.

mcginnin56

Quote: Originally posted by gonnawinwatchme on Nov 30, 2012

I could care less how they spend their money.  I just think it was incredibly irresponsible and careless of them to not claim it in a trust.  For goodness sakes, they had their 5-6 year old little girl on national tv?!?  I feel bad for them for all of the hounding/kidnapping threats that are coming their way.  It could've been prevented.  It was obviously more important to them to have a press conference than to protect their family.

I think they just left it in God's hands.  Blue Angel

If you can't trust him....?

Erzulieredeyes's avatarErzulieredeyes

Quote: Originally posted by gonnawinwatchme on Nov 30, 2012

Ive been saying it all day and shaking my head.  These people are idiots.  They should've taken their time and gotten their financial team together and claimed it in a trust.  They just painted huge targets on their backs and their childrens' backs.  I feel sorry for them.

I don't think they're too worried or paranoid about that. With the loot that they now have they will be able to hire security 24/7  without thinking twice about the cost -- they have the money they can afford it.

Celebrities are in the spotlight much more than lottery winners and most of them are left alone and the ones who aren't beef up security...  Never heard of any celebrities go into hiding and falling off the face off the earth because they got a few barks from the public. lol

 

 I think it's best to get the media out of the way first hand because reporters WILL find you and are going to hound you till they get the exclusive interview sooner or later anyway.

 

I would have done the same thing  and claimed it early myself, but I would have avoided the press conference if it isn't mandatory. I would only do the interview if media hounded me just to get it over with and take my chances.

VenomV12

Jesus Christ, how broke and stupid are these people? What is the all fired hurry to go on Facebook and tell everyone you won and then to run and go on TV with your whole family with a giant check? They can't even get the money for a few weeks anyway so just wait until then at the bare minimum and you know, take the time to setup housing, get financial advice and other things you will need to do. 

Plus bringing the kids on there, especially the little girl is just plain stupid, try to shield as many members of your family from the view of the public as possible. I get the impression based on their decisions so far that they are too trusting and nice and not too bright and I have a bad feeling they are going to get taken by any and everyone they come in contact with. This is not going to end well. 

psykomo's avatarpsykomo

Quote: Originally posted by mcginnin56 on Nov 30, 2012

Cut them some slack, it's their money to do with as they please.

I'm very happy for them.

MG:

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>2012!!

US Flagaunt that AMERICA>1/2 BILLION

US FlagWhite BounceUS FlagWhite BounceUS FlagWhite BounceUS FlagWhite BounceUS FlagWhite BounceUS Flag$

we LIVE in A >> White BounceCOUNTRY White BounceUS Flag

                       DrumJack-in-the-BoxDrum     

sully16's avatarsully16

Congrats to the lucky couple

mcginnin56

Quote: Originally posted by psykomo on Nov 30, 2012

MG:

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>2012!!

US Flagaunt that AMERICA>1/2 BILLION

US FlagWhite BounceUS FlagWhite BounceUS FlagWhite BounceUS FlagWhite BounceUS FlagWhite BounceUS Flag$

we LIVE in A >> White BounceCOUNTRY White BounceUS Flag

                       DrumJack-in-the-BoxDrum     

PatriotAmen psykomo!

gonnawinwatchme's avatargonnawinwatchme

Quote: Originally posted by Erzulieredeyes on Nov 30, 2012

I don't think they're too worried or paranoid about that. With the loot that they now have they will be able to hire security 24/7  without thinking twice about the cost -- they have the money they can afford it.

Celebrities are in the spotlight much more than lottery winners and most of them are left alone and the ones who aren't beef up security...  Never heard of any celebrities go into hiding and falling off the face off the earth because they got a few barks from the public. lol

 

 I think it's best to get the media out of the way first hand because reporters WILL find you and are going to hound you till they get the exclusive interview sooner or later anyway.

 

I would have done the same thing  and claimed it early myself, but I would have avoided the press conference if it isn't mandatory. I would only do the interview if media hounded me just to get it over with and take my chances.

Yeah, that's a way to live.  Constant security and body guards.  Sounds great.  All of that could've been avoided had they waited and claimed it anonymously.  Again, I feel sorry for them.  Celebrities have to be in the public eye.  Lottery winners can avoid it by keeping their mouths shut.

dallascowboyfan's avatardallascowboyfan

Congratulations to the winners.....

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