If you can't win it big in the lottery, you hope the ones who do seem worthy of the prize. Which is why few can be disappointed that a Minnesota couple has come forward to claim one of the biggest jackpots in North American history — a whopping $180 million.
Paul and Sue Rosenau were the sole winners of the Powerball lottery in last Saturday's big draw. The couple, from the small town of Waseca, will take a one time lump sum payment worth $59.6 million after taxes.
Both are 54 and both still have time to enjoy their winnings. But neither believes the money will change their lives very much. They say they already had what matters most. "We realize that money is probably not as important as friendship and helping others," Paul Rosenau explains. "And that's what we hope to do with it."
He's a heavy equipment operator. She works at an agricultural research institute. Neither plans to retire. Like many people who strike it rich, the pair has only a few early plans, including buying a new house, taking a long deferred trip to Hawaii and vacationing with their kids.
But while the still stunned husband and wife admit the 'whirlwind win' has left them unable to think about the future, there is one other place the money is almost sure to go. Their amazing win came on a bitter anniversary for the two. It was five years to the day that their 2-year-old granddaughter died from a rare nervous system disorder known as Krabbe disease.
Research into stopping that fate from befalling anyone else is high on their agenda. "It's very emotional to know that there's a reason for this," Sue Rosenau outlines.
For now, the couple is still trying to adapt to their new status but note they're the same people they were before those fateful numbers were drawn on the weekend. "We don't need a lot," Paul concludes. "We've got more than what we need. We want to have a regular life."
And that kind of attitude is something money can't buy.
They sound like good people. I hope things work out well for them.
Yeah, good luck to them on maintaining a regular life..... They're gonna need it.
GET REAL! They have $180 millions reasons they can't go back. ^^ $60 millions cash! Its first class all the way baby!
They have to face the truth from now on. Other external factors will impact their lives regardless whether they want a regular life or not.
However, it seems that they are humble. That's one of the main key points to acheive their desire of committment to "regular life."
If I won that much money and people knew it I'd move out..Go 1st class at thier age..They will be hounded...
People will say they will continue to have a regular life and keep on working because they never had $60 million before. They probably mean they will pay a half million dollars for a new home instead of $5 million and buy 2 or 3 new cars instead of a fleet. They will fly their family first class to Hawaii and stay at first class resort but not buy a private jet and an island.
It's obvious that much money will change their lifestyle but it doesn't necessarily mean the people will change.
If you "want a regular life" don't play a $180 milllion dollar jackpot. Also if you continue to live just a plain regular life, you are a waste of such a large jackpot. Use the opportunity to do things no one else ever could dream of. It is always these unprepared types that "don't need anything" who win. It is pretty easy to say that the money does not matter after you obtain so much and have such a huge security blanket.
So according to you, donation to medical research is a waste of such a large jackpot. Sounds to me that they do plan to use the opportunity to do things no one else could ever dream of. Face it, it is just that your dream differs from their dream. Is there any reason they have to be similar?
Nobody is "really" prepared to win that kind of money. We would want it not to change our lives, but it will. And how could that be such a waste of a large jackpot? Did you win it? Donating a large sum of money to medical research is not something everyone can do..Sure we can donate small amounts but millions..I think not.
I work in a pediatrics ICU and seeing a child die is a very bad thing and god aweful to family members. You would do everything in your power to try to save your child but when that fails, you want to save someone else's child or family members. These illnesses are very devastating. So I don't think that them winning was a waste of anything. If it could bring their grandchild back and I am pretty sure they would give up all their winnings.
K
Regardless of what they "claim" they are going to do, I just get sick of reading about how these winners just want to live normal lives and have nothing change. Why bother playing the lottery then at all? It is pointless to have life-changing money that few others will ever have, and just sit on it not knowing how to handle it or use it. I think some people are indeed well prepared to win a large amount of money, I am one of them...and have been for many years now.
Although I would not be a lavish spender, I can assure you I would not sit around with trying to be "normal." Although it could very well be just a lie to avoid further publicity. I am not sure which is worse with these types of winners, blowing it all or doing nothing and even going back to a bad job after winning. It just seems as though the ones who win the majority of the time are the ones who do not expect to win, do not care, nor need to win. I could see "living normal" if you only won a million. But when the beat such high odds and win this amount why not max it out?
It just sounds ridiculous. But I stand by my original statement, you want to be normal don't play or accept a $180 million dollar jackpot, then cry when you win it.
"Nobody is "really" prepared to win that kind of money. We would want it not to change our lives, but it will."
Speak for yourself. My life would change drastically, and for the better. More opportunities would open up that would have never been there before, for myself and others. I guess we all do have different goals.
If they want a regular life they certainly can afford to corner the market on Exlax!
It's doesn't matter what they do or don't do with their winnings, your not gonna get a single dollar of it anyway.
"ME 222222222222222!!!"
On 5/09/08 (friday)........I touched an ASTON MARTIN.....$149,000 tag
with a gas guzzler TAX of>>.....$ 1700 ???
THIS was the ONE .......a PSYKO w@@d>>>>>>>>>>>>.....CH@@$E
The BENTLY was only...>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> $379.000 tag
TEN miles per gallon on the BENTLY with a $4000.00 guzzle TAX!!!!!!
AT least all of my G@@D LP friend's know or should>>>KNOW>>>!!
PSYKOMO is not <<<<<<<<<<<<< DARN KRAZY>>>>>>>>>>>!!
ASTON MARTIN got13 miles/gallon
LOL
PSYKOMO
True, which is why I am not afraid to say how I "honestly" feel.
sirbrad:
PSYKO.........really>>>>>>>liked>>>>>>>>the ASTON MARTIN>>>>>
although.....it did get better gas mileage>> 13 vs 10 for the BENTLY!!
WHEN U get the chance>>>>>>>>>>>>> CHECK'um bouth OUT !!!!!
GIVE us a LP >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> "honest opinion" thank'$
LOL
PSYKOMO
TRANSLATION:
for all U krazy>>>>>PSYKO's out there >>>>>!!!!
The>>>>> ASTON MARTIN is the regular world >>>>>>
PSYKOMO is a regular GUY....BUT>>
and yes >>>>>>>> I do >>>>>>> LUV >>>>>>> CORVETT'ssssssss
BUTT.... >>>>>>>> I do >>>>>>> LUV ASTON MARTIN >>
better>> (BUTT) if u L@@K @ D
TRACK...................record's>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
"Corvett" eat's Aston's"
BUTT>>>>>>>>>>>'UP"
LOL.............(why not OWN bofum>>>>VETT & ASTON>>>>222222)
PSYKOMO
Sirbrad, I totally get where you are coming from. I feel the exact same way. They had a regular life prior to the win. Obviously, "regular life" to them doesn't mean the same as it does for other folks. "Regular life" must mean money coming out the wazoo. In that case, I want a "regular life" too!!
Well, it is very unlikely that you will win the lottery, but if you should, I'm sure that there will be people who will be critical of your approach.
Many people who win the lottery appear to fail miserably at it. I suspect that the majority of the failures are those who make big changes rashly.
I happen to know an acquaintance of the Whites, who won 220 million in Powerball. They lived in New Jersey, but bought their ticket in PA near where I live.
They stayed in their house for more than a year, and made changes very, very, very slowly. According to my acquaintance, they have done quite well. After adjusting to their wealth they did move, but still retain their original residence. They didn't do anything particularly wild with the money.
The people in the store where the ticket was sold of course felt entitled to huge "tips" and wrote letters to the winners - I'm sure they went on a big pile of such letters - but they never heard from the Whites again.
(I think this was wise.)
It seems to me that the first thing people want to do when they hear of lottery winners is to criticize their approaches.
I'm sure it's a big change, but somehow I expect these people may do better than some. I wish them luck. They seem to have good values.
It'd be harder to criticize them if no one knows who they are. Well, without doing some digging anyway. I thought these people with having their attorney make the initial statement were going to go about claiming through a trust or something to at least try to keep their name out of the papers, but that ended up not happening, maybe Minnesota doesn't allow it, I dunno. Anyway, we'll see in a few years where life and their winning has taken them, unless things go well then we'll probably never hear of the again.
I know it depends on the person, but I will admit that if I won a jackpot like that it would be very very veryhard for me to stick around where I'm at now. Even if no one knew I won,I'd still be outta here as soon as I have things sorted out and taken care to asatisfactory degree.
Right on! I am really put off with those who declare the money is "not going to change their lives" etc. Anyone who thinks this is naive and simplistic to the extreme. Why play?
If, having won this tremendous windfall, they REALLY don't want this money to change their lives, then they should claim a small portion (and I mean VERY SMALL, like a couple of million or so) for themselves. THEN, hving made their declaration of realizing "money is not as important as friendship and helping others", I think it a wonderful idea to share their winnings with their best friends and extended family members in addition to donating funds to their declared medical research intention. Now, THAT would be putting your money where your mouth is! Somehow this rarely seems to occur to the complainers. I would be interested to find out exactally how much money goes to research. Talk is cheap. Money speaks.
Since they declared money is "not important" just try to get them to part with a dollar to help you!!! Good luck! Even their best friends and siblings frequently find themselves sucking wind and using food stamps when it comes to this brand of sharing and indifference toward money.
PS: It seems these people have an equally simplistic and naive accountant... birds of a feather, so to speak. Why on earth did the accountant not give advice as per trusts, partnerships, confidentiality, seeking a tax attorney, etc? The first thing I would do with all this money (now that I opened Pandora's box by flying to the lottery headquarters like both my hair and the building was on fire) is to dismiss the accountant for ineptitude and find an accountant worthy of the title. Maybe they could share some of this money with the current accountant. With such skills as the accountant exhibited I doubt he/she is very successful, so the money will come in real handy. Maybe the accountant could go back to school.
D'oh! I thought it was thinking it was their attorney in the initial story, oh well... Replace attorney with accountant. >_>
But I agree, but maybe this couple didn't want to wait for the trust to get set up. If so then they probably were seeking the publicity which makes it more annoying. Like that couple in Georgia who won the big Mega Millions a few months back and preceded to go on a small media tour.
For sure, they will get tired of the beggars. They will get tired of being hounded for money by their friends, "relatives", businesses who never knew they existed, lawyers-who want to"manage" their money, charities that they have never heard of, and plain people who feel as if they have enough to share some with them....their life will never be normal again. If it were me, I WOULD at least move to be able to think and breathe.
Since they are of retiring age, they should invest the prize in commercial properties that can generate steady incomes.
I agree 180 million%
It's amazing how many people are totally clueless about what a regular life is. Just because it's not the regular life you can afford doesn't mean it isn't a regular life. The world is full of people who have plenty of money but still live regular lives. I think it was Robin Williams, talking about cocaine just making your personality more pronounced, who wondered, "what if you're already an a$$hole? Money seldom changes people. An abundance of it just gives them more opportunity to be themselves and do the things they're already been doing, but on a somewhat bigger scale. David Edwards didn't change when he won powerball, his bad decisions just got more expensive.
Having enough money that you don't need to worry about the cost of gas or where the next mortgage check will come from doesn't mean that there are any fundamental changes in who you are or your core values. The people who go out and buy too much house, too many cars, or make other extravagant indulgences already wanted to do that, but just didn't have enough money yet. Plenty of other people come into money and buy a newer car and a nicer houser, and go on a few more or nicer vacations. That doesn't mean that they've changed or that they aren't leading a regular life. Money is just a tool. It's how you use it rather than how much you use that shows what type of person you are.
of course they want a normal life...that's why they did the interview, right
?
you wouldn't see me at all if I won, especially that amount of $$$.
LIKE KIDZMOM ,I WORK AS AN ELECTRICIAN IN A BIG HOSPITAL IN THE BRONX.I OFTEN HAVE TO GO INTO PEDIATRIC ICU"S. Sometimes i just get soo tearyeye and upset,and i'm only there maybe a few hours at a time.Now,if you really want to get upset go into a neonatal or a burn unit. It really makes you think about life and how eazy it can be cut short.I also worked in a hospital on Long Island which had a Ronald McDonald House right next door. Just one more life check.
Yes ,i will have a great time when i hit but just don't ever forget about your good healht and how lucky your are to be alive..
D