NY hospital orderly wins $20 million lottery jackpot

May 16, 2014, 8:16 am (63 comments)

Mega Millions

Sweet dreams are made of this — a $20 million lottery ticket.

Long Island, New York, hospital worker Cameron Finney was so stunned over winning the Mega Millions jackpot he slept with the ticket under his pillow for two days.

Then he realized there was a better place for it.

"I went to the bank to put it in a safety deposit box — after I slept with it for two days," Finney, 48, said after coming forward to claim the prize Thursday.

The married Southampton father's life was forever changed after he ate a chicken dinner with his wife at Popeye's on March 25.

On their way home, Finney bought $4 worth of quick pick tickets at a Gascon gas station in Coram.

The next morning, while checking the tickets at a convenience store near his home, a clerk told him he won $1 million.

"I just kept saying, 'Oh my God. I won a million dollars,'" recalled Finney who rarely plays the lottery. "I can live on a million dollars."

He immediately called his wife, Donna, a Cablevision executive specialist. But she wasn't buying it.

"My wife kept saying, 'Quit playing. Quit playing. We didn't win,'" Finney said.

After hanging up with his dubious spouse, Finney received even better news.

"The clerk went over it again and said, 'Oh my god. You won $20 million.'"

Finney's jaw dropped. He called his wife back but again she thought he was just yanking her chain.

So Finney passed the phone to a random customer who confirmed that she and her husband were now multimillionaires.

"I didn't believe the man," Donna Finney said. "I was like, 'I don't know you. As far as I know, my husband could have paid you.'"

But there was no doubt Thursday as Finney, Donna and their 23-year-old daughter, Christina, were presented with an oversized check worth $20 million at lottery office in Plainview.

Finney has opted to take the lump sum of $7.4 million after taxes.

Finney is planning to purchase a home in East Quogue as a gift to his wife and a new Dodge Ram to replace the one they wrecked last year.

He also has his sights set on a more luxurious vehicle.

"I always wanted a Bentley so now I'm going to buy a Bentley after I buy my wife a house," Finney said.

He's planning on quitting his job as a Southampton Hospital orderly and is still trying to figure out how to deal with his newfound popularity.

"My phone is constantly ringing," Finney said. "Before I won, nobody called."

News story photo(Click to display full-size in gallery)

News story photo(Click to display full-size in gallery)

News story photo(Click to display full-size in gallery)

Daily News

Comments

surimaribo24's avatarsurimaribo24

Congrats to the winner. He better invest some of the money that will make him some money. 

Home in east quoque runs to a mil and also the tax alone could dry you out in a few years .

pickone4me's avatarpickone4me

"I went to the bank to put it in a safety deposit box"  Anything you put into the bank, the bank considers as "theirs".  Think about what happened in Cyprus.

Heres something else to ponder http://www.pbs.org/newshour/making-sense/is-your-money-safe-at-the-bank-an-economist-says-no-and-withdraws-his/

RedStang's avatarRedStang

This is why i always buy a ticket even when the jackpot is low.

dr65's avatardr65

3rd line down was the winner...would have been nice to know in the article.

Qp's - nothing wrong with them at all...when it can win a multi-million dollar jp, I'll play them anyday!

Wonder how the clerk thought it was just a million? Wouldn't it tell them on the screen??

Excellent win and a HUGE WTG!! Great story...especially the part about sleeping with the ticket under his pillow.

He probably didn't sleep at all.

Jani Norman's avatarJani Norman

As young as he looks and he's quitting his job already to live the good life as he puts it, only hope we are not reading about you 5 years from now in debt.

It can all happen so fast......

 

 

 

 

 

Marilyn222's avatarMarilyn222

Awwww....'love his story! I wish him more to come...

noise-gate

Quote: Originally posted by surimaribo24 on May 16, 2014

Congrats to the winner. He better invest some of the money that will make him some money. 

Home in east quoque runs to a mil and also the tax alone could dry you out in a few years .

I Agree!

l hope this fine gentlemen " counts the cost" before going out and doing what he says he will do.

Nevertheless !!!

 

mrcraft's avatarmrcraft

Congrats!

Based on this article, I hope you get a good financial adviser.  Best of luck.

dallascowboyfan's avatardallascowboyfan

Congratulation Mr FinneyThumbs Up

donnie713's avatardonnie713

Way to go on your new windfall. Hopefully, he invests wisely:-)

Drenick1's avatarDrenick1

He better seek financial help before he even buys a house or Bentley. Next year he will owe close to $1.6 million more so his windfall will drop to about $5.7 million. If he doesn't go crazy, that amount should last him the rest of his life. Assuming he wants to play it safe and puts it in the bank to collect interest, he should have about 150k in principal to spend every year for the next 40 years.

$150k today will probably be worth somewhere in the $30k range 30-40 years from now.

ThatScaryChick's avatarThatScaryChick

Congrats to Mr. Finney on his win! He probably should get a new and unlisted phone number though. He's probably going to get tired of all those phone calls.

savagegoose's avatarsavagegoose

edit
 

Based on this article, I hope you get a good honest financial adviser.  Best of luck.

 

there i fixed it for you

SammyJoe10's avatarSammyJoe10

Congrats to the lucky winner! Change your phone number, move to a lower COL state, invest most of it, and enjoy yourself!

Drenick1's avatarDrenick1

Quote: Originally posted by savagegoose on May 16, 2014

edit
 

Based on this article, I hope you get a good honest financial adviser.  Best of luck.

 

there i fixed it for you

I'll go one step further:

I hope he gets a good AND honest financial adviser.

JackpotWanna's avatarJackpotWanna

Nice win!

Banana

Artist77's avatarArtist77

Sounds like his wife is non-nonsense. So hopefully they will do well with their money.

rdgrnr's avatarrdgrnr

I don't think $7.4 Million puts you in the Million Dollar House and a Bentley in the Driveway League.

I wish him the best but I'm a little worried about this guy.

weshar75's avatarweshar75

Congrats on your win and with $5 million in the bank you could spend $100,000 a year and live nicely for 50 years.-weshar75

US Flag

Gleno's avatarGleno

Congratulations to Mr. Finney. Guess he won't be cleaning up bed pans after this windfall. Good for him.

Drum

s5thomps's avatars5thomps

Cheers 7.4 million after taxes!!! Looks likes the Feds and the state of New York hit the jackpot also. Should have gotten at least 10 million....however 7.4 million is still pretty decent. He should be ok for the rest of his life. Hopefully he won't go all David Lee Edwards and buy a lot of junk.

DamGod

This is amazing, you get hold a giant check for 20 million and you end up with only 5. 8 million in your account by next year .

And the best part is everyone thinks you have 20 mil and you start spending like you have 20 too.

mypiemaster's avatarmypiemaster

Quote: Originally posted by DamGod on May 16, 2014

This is amazing, you get hold a giant check for 20 million and you end up with only 5. 8 million in your account by next year .

And the best part is everyone thinks you have 20 mil and you start spending like you have 20 too.

Let us all bow down to UNCLE SAM, the only "relative" that never says thanks after taking your money, or may I, before taking your money. Lottery wins should never be subject to taxation. The money is usually spent or invested, in the Good ol' U.S of A anyway. Most countries in the world, do not tax lottery winnings upfront like we do.

mypiemaster's avatarmypiemaster

Quote: Originally posted by SammyJoe10 on May 16, 2014

Congrats to the lucky winner! Change your phone number, move to a lower COL state, invest most of it, and enjoy yourself!

This is why a lottery winner should always have the option, to ham it up in front of the camera, or to fly below the radar and just mind your business.

mypiemaster's avatarmypiemaster

The look on the girl's face says it all. Congrats to the winner.

mypiemaster's avatarmypiemaster

"The clerk went over it again and said, 'Oh my god. You won $20 million."  Lucky the PATELS were not working that day!!!.

rock_nc's avatarrock_nc

Quote: Originally posted by rdgrnr on May 16, 2014

I don't think $7.4 Million puts you in the Million Dollar House and a Bentley in the Driveway League.

I wish him the best but I'm a little worried about this guy.

I Agree!

rock_nc's avatarrock_nc

Quote: Originally posted by mypiemaster on May 17, 2014

"The clerk went over it again and said, 'Oh my god. You won $20 million."  Lucky the PATELS were not working that day!!!.

I Agree!

rock_nc's avatarrock_nc

Quote: Originally posted by DamGod on May 16, 2014

This is amazing, you get hold a giant check for 20 million and you end up with only 5. 8 million in your account by next year .

And the best part is everyone thinks you have 20 mil and you start spending like you have 20 too.

I Agree!

Subscribe to this news story