Kentucky lottery winner wastes no time claiming jackpot

Dec 14, 2010, 9:17 am (44 comments)

Powerball

Won $19.12 million from Saturday night's Powerball drawing

Knott County native and Louisville resident Muncie Meade is Kentucky's newest multimillionaire.  The 24-year-old lawn service owner today presented a $19.12 million winning Powerball ticket at Kentucky Lottery headquarters.

Meade has been lucky at lottery play recently, and another smaller win led to this major jackpot.  "I bought a $10 scratch-off ticket last week and won $250," he said. "I took my winnings and bought a $5 Powerball quick-pick ticket."  It was this ticket which netted him the jackpot from Saturday night's drawing.

"I got up Sunday morning, and while I was still in bed I opened up my laptop and checked the lottery's website to see the winning numbers," he said.  "I kept looking at the screen and at my ticket, and I couldn't believe what I saw."

Meade then told his fiancé, 24-year-old Allyson McCormick, the big news.  "I thought he was joking," she laughed.  "I kept looking at the date and at the winning numbers.  People talk about how your chances of winning are like getting hit by lightning, and I couldn't believe what was happening."

In order to make sure he was the winner, Meade went back to the retailer where he bought the ticket to have it checked.  "The clerk scanned the ticket, the screen said 'prize exceeds cashing limit', and I knew I had it," he said.

Sleep was not on the agenda for Meade last night.  "The ticket stayed in my shirt pocket all night, and there was no way I could sleep," he said.  He showed how creased the ticket was, which he said was the result of him opening and closing it so many times to check to make absolutely sure he was the winner.

Meade is a huge University of Kentucky basketball fan, and joked that he'd hoped UK basketball coach John Calipari could have handed him the big four-foot-long ceremonial check.

Meade comes from a humble beginning, "a hard life," as he said. The four boys in his family are two sets of twins, and their mother passed away when he was 16 years old.  She died following injuries sustained in a coal mining accident.  "We've all four been on our own ever since then," Meade said, "and I have to believe mom was looking out for us on Saturday night."

As for the money, Meade plans to invest in his lawn care business (New Leaf Lawn Care), and to buy each of his three brothers their own home.  The rest will be invested, he said, and he and Allyson will soon start to plan their wedding.

"She used to get on me about buying lottery tickets," Meade said with a smile.  "I think she's cool with it now."

Meade chose to take the cash option for his winnings, meaning his payout was $9.56 million.  After 25% federal and 6% state taxes are withheld, $6.6 million will be wired to his checking account within the next two weeks.

The ticket was sold at the Thorntons on 12412 Lagrange Road at the intersection with Chamberlain Lane.  They will receive a selling bonus of $18,450.62 which represents 1% of Kentucky sales since the jackpot was last hit on December 1st.

This is the 18th time Powerball has been won in Kentucky.  The largest jackpot in Kentucky history was hit just last year on Christmas Eve, when Rob and Tuesday Anderson from Georgetown won $128.6 million.

Details on last year's Kentucky Powerball winners:

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

Kentucky Lottery, Lottery Post Staff

Comments

temptustoo's avatartemptustoo

Lets see how this works.. you win 19 million.. you bring home 6 million.. that really SUCKS !!!!What?

sully16's avatarsully16

Congrats to Mr. Meade...........only 6 million, that leaves 13 million to the state, robbery.

BaristaExpress's avatarBaristaExpress

Quote: Originally posted by temptustoo on Dec 14, 2010

Lets see how this works.. you win 19 million.. you bring home 6 million.. that really SUCKS !!!!What?

You have to understand that the larger amount is the ANNUITY! The CASH amount is half of the larger number that's always advertised! It's called the bait and switch game to get more people to play!

Meade chose to take the cash option for his winnings, meaning his payout was $9.56 million (< before taxes). 

After 25% federal and 6% state taxes are withheld, $6.6 million will be wired to his checking account within the next two weeks.

OldSchoolPa's avatarOldSchoolPa

Quote: Originally posted by sully16 on Dec 14, 2010

Congrats to Mr. Meade...........only 6 million, that leaves 13 million to the state, robbery.

No the federal and state governments only robbed him of 3.0 million.  The 19 million figure is what he would have received had he chose to receive the annuity option vice the cash value.  The cash value is usually 50% of the advertised annuity amount.  But in any case, the guy is lucky and better off than he was before.  Now all he has to worry about is not becoming the "bank" for all of his families wants and needs as well as keeping good track of his spending versus accrued interest and investment returns...and also drafting up a pre-nupital agreement with his fiancee!  Otherwise, he will be lucky to still be solvent 10 years from now. 

On another note, I sure wouldn't mind a $50 million birthday gift! Big Smile  My birthday is in 11 days...so I'm loving the MegaMillions jackpot now!

Stack47

"Sleep was not on the agenda for Meade last night.  "The ticket stayed in my shirt pocket all night, and there was no way I could sleep," he said."

Granted it wasn't the biggest jackpot ever won but when I read wish topics about consulting attorneys and financial planners before validating their tickets, I wonder how people could wait. The money won't be in his account for two weeks giving him plenty of time to get help reviewing his options.

dpoly1's avatardpoly1

I hope that Mr. Meade enjoys his win!

I you would win Mega Millions tonite and took the cash, the Feds would steal about $23.24 million from you in taxes .......... and the neanderthals wanted to raise the tax rate!

US Flag follow the Constitution of the United States and ride in the front!

 

and I am hoping that the pick the correct numbers (the numbers on my ticket) tonite!

Fla386's avatarFla386

Quote: Originally posted by temptustoo on Dec 14, 2010

Lets see how this works.. you win 19 million.. you bring home 6 million.. that really SUCKS !!!!What?

Play Canada lotto, TAX FREE !!!!

Me, I can live nicely bringin home 6 mill Yes Nod 

RJOh's avatarRJOh

He didn't give anyone who may have thought they bought the winning ticket and lost it a chance to make a claim. LOL

dr65's avatardr65

Quote: Originally posted by OldSchoolPa on Dec 14, 2010

No the federal and state governments only robbed him of 3.0 million.  The 19 million figure is what he would have received had he chose to receive the annuity option vice the cash value.  The cash value is usually 50% of the advertised annuity amount.  But in any case, the guy is lucky and better off than he was before.  Now all he has to worry about is not becoming the "bank" for all of his families wants and needs as well as keeping good track of his spending versus accrued interest and investment returns...and also drafting up a pre-nupital agreement with his fiancee!  Otherwise, he will be lucky to still be solvent 10 years from now. 

On another note, I sure wouldn't mind a $50 million birthday gift! Big Smile  My birthday is in 11 days...so I'm loving the MegaMillions jackpot now!

"......becoming a "bank" for all of his families wants and needs....."

Yeah, Dad seems to have come back into their lives just in time to reap some benefits.

Skeptical

JWBlue

Quote: Originally posted by sully16 on Dec 14, 2010

Congrats to Mr. Meade...........only 6 million, that leaves 13 million to the state, robbery.

I have been saying for years that the annuity amount is false advertising.

 

A few years ago, a guy won a lottery jackpot in a northeastern state that I don't recall and went to court and sued for the advertised jackpot amount to be the cash value amount.

 

The judge told him that he could return his winning ticket for a refund.

Perfecttiming2's avatarPerfecttiming2

Quote: Originally posted by dr65 on Dec 14, 2010

"......becoming a "bank" for all of his families wants and needs....."

Yeah, Dad seems to have come back into their lives just in time to reap some benefits.

Skeptical

This young man said he and his brothers have been on their own since the age of 16, which is when their mother passed.........where was their father all that time?

I see the father in the lotto ceremony photo and I noticed the expression on his face; seem very telling (he seem to be glaring at this son from behind).........just wondering where he was during the most difficult time of his children's lives?

dpoly1's avatardpoly1

Some nice person (like me) needs to be the first Mega Millions Jackpot Winner from Pennsylvania tonite!

Stack47

Quote: Originally posted by RJOh on Dec 14, 2010

He didn't give anyone who may have thought they bought the winning ticket and lost it a chance to make a claim. LOL

Now that's funny!

LOL

RJOh's avatarRJOh

Quote: Originally posted by dpoly1 on Dec 14, 2010

Some nice person (like me) needs to be the first Mega Millions Jackpot Winner from Pennsylvania tonite!

Nice people alway need money but it's the person with correct numbers that gets the money. 

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