ZEPHYRHILLS, Fla. — The gold Ford Focus has disappeared from the dirt driveway. Also gone is the neighbor kid's congratulatory crayon drawing of palm trees, taped to the door of the tiny gray duplex where Gloria MacKenzie lived until she won $590.5 million, the largest single jackpot in American lottery history.
Records show that MacKenzie, 84, traded her former rental unit in for a 6,322-square-foot, five-bedroom home in Glen Kernan Country Club, a gated golf course community in southeast Jacksonville. The price: $1,175,000.
Property records show the deed was transferred to Melinda Ann MacKenzie, trustee, on June 21. Gloria MacKenzie has a daughter by the same name who teaches high school science in Maine. Her son, Scott, who had a standing agreement to split the prize with his mother, also lives in Jacksonville.
The listing for the two-story lake-front house describes it as "majestic," with a curved staircase, home theater and wet bar, fireplace, library, 4½ baths, a chef's kitchen and a full-size laundry room.
The former owners were listed as Dr. Yousif A. Abubakr, a Jacksonville hematologist oncologist. An office manager for Abubakr said he sold the home through a trust and did not deal directly with the buyer.
Troy Davis, who lives next door to MacKenzie's new home, declined to comment.
Back on the rural road in Zephyrhills where MacKenzie used to take walks, neighbors wondered what became of her.
"We were kind of disappointed we didn't see her again," said Paul Bathrick, who lives a couple of doors down from MacKenzie's former one-bedroom apartment. He said MacKenzie's two sons came a few weeks ago to remove her belongings.
Jorge Trapero, a friend of MacKenzie's who lived in the adjacent apartment, was not at the home Wednesday. A Progress Energy worker whose truck was on the property said he had just cut off the electricity to Trapero's unit. MacKenzie's, he said, was cut off a couple of weeks ago.
MacKenzie has remained in the shadows since coming forward June 5 to claim the prize, which she took in a lump sum of $370.9 million that totaled $278 million after taxes.
She referred questions to members of a law firm, who then would not answer questions. She bought the winning ticket on May 18 at a Publix on U.S. 301 in Zephyrhills, where a woman let her cut in line in front of her.
A possible sighting was reported June 9 when an unidentified woman who diners said looked like MacKenzie paid $2,600 for the meals of all 180 patrons at BuddyFreddy's off Interstate 4 in Plant City. She gave $50 to each of the five servers.
Most family members also have declined to comment.
News of the home purchase came as a surprise to Ella MacKenzie, her sister-in-law who lives in East Millinocket, Maine, near Bangor. She said she has had little contact with Gloria since she moved to Florida about eight years ago after her husband, Ralph, died.
"That's great," Ella MacKenzie said. "She didn't really have a nice home."
Ella MacKenzie said she also has not seen Melinda MacKenzie, who lives nearby, since her mother struck it rich.
"We used to see her quite a bit," she said. "She walked by the house a lot."
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Thanks to Artist77 for the tip.
A home in a gated community makes a lot of sense when the press hounds you like they have hounded Mrs. MacKenzie.
i hope this is not another Abraham incident.
i pray that all is great and legit with Mrs. MacKenzie.
Keeping it quiet, keeping it smart. So far she is doing pretty much everything as she should. $1.175 is not too extravagant for a JP of that size.
Congrats on the home purchase, Ms MacKenzie.
Those were exactly my thoughts as well!
Way to go girl. Enjoy your golden years. You EARNED it.
Congrats, I hope you have a chef and housekeeper as well, I would!
I think she STOLE it. But I still hope she doesnt choke on it.
I wonder if she will let her old neibghors use the "full sized" laundry room instead of going to the laundrymat?
That could be a story of its own.... "Press hounds you like a lottery winner"........
She was at the right place at the right moment.How she got there is not important.
Now it sounds like they're hounding her new neighbors too. At least the one in this article had the sense to not comment, unlike her old neighbors and distant relatives who blab everything they know. Oh and that electric company worker needs to be fired for giving out customer information too.
It matters if she is a theif, and didnt make things right with the person she stole from.
Its just a story. They ask a few questions and then they leave. You guys act like they set up a 24 hour tent city and broadcast with live trucks in the yard, and install portapottys for the dozons of broadcasters.
I can't tell if you really believe this stuff, or if you just like to get people riled up.
LOL. She can also host Bingo night in her living room.
I would be pissed if the press publicly gave away my new address..
They put a Huge target on her, plus they showed what the house looked like.
I would go Balistic...
Balistic? For what? You are a public figure now, if you walk away with $278 million free and clear.
Right.
So Gloria got the money now, and she bought a house and put it in her daughter Melinda's name, who's nickname is "Mindy" as we learned from the previous article courtesy blabbermouth Ella.
But what about the *real* Mindy? Nothing?
But if you move to a new home,
You should have the choice to tell or not tell where you live it should not be up to the press.
Thats like saying no one should know that Howard Stern moved to the Hamptons in 2005.
I agree! If he is serious, he will be one of these people expecting a handout from any one he knows who wins some money. Envy is a devious creature.
I would NOT want to be Gloria for ANY amount of money.
I hate to say it but
... I see your point.
But personaly I would Pissed. Once I win I want to be left alone.
Gloria must feel the same way and therfore moved to a gated community. Its a personal choice that I can respect. I would personally rather just answer all the questions and consider all requests for money without any fears. This way I could help Artist write another book, and MAKE more money than I won.
Shes 84. What do you expect her to do. I think the nights of wild partys on Yachts, driving fancy cars, and going VIP to clubs is over.
She could hire writers and write a book. Image how wildly popular a book could be, with a title like....
"I consider all requests for money"
lol lol I will take you up on that Ronnie when you win! But no book will make more than you won unless we get a movie deal/series like Harry Potter. The real money is in the licensing of products, etc.
I bet her Son and his Boyfriend picked out a house with stairs so they know when Mom is coming.
And speaking of powerball, I got my ticket then realized I forgot to check powerplay but am too thirfty to buy another one. Darn. It was my fault. I will be mad at myself if I win 2nd place without PP.
Congratulation on your new home
Yes l agree.
There seems to be double standards here. Had Gloria won $50 mil while cutting in line we would not be having this conversation but because she was allowed to cut in line and won ..well you know- suddenly she STOLE it? Give me a break.
Gloria wants privacy like anyone should. The woman is in her 80's for Pete's sake. Leave her the hell alone.!!
I dont agree.
Lets start a Gloria watch, and see how long it takes her to crash and burn with her ill gotten gains.
You right Sir Ronnie " You" don't agree. You making this about you instead of Gloria. I have yet to read of you going after your fellow Arizonian multi millionaire winner from last year, you remember the one who split that massive jackpot with Cindy? In fact your State winner had a bill passed to prevent nosy people knowing everything about them including where they lived.
Like l said- double standards. Checkmate.
Gloria is getting much more media attention than the jackpot winners who answered a few questions at a press conference and had their picture taken holding a gigantic check. Maybe it's because her winnings were a record or maybe someone is trying to prove it's impossible to remain anonymous. It's one thing to say she bought a million dollar home, but they gave the address.
It's possible it's because Gloria never even thanked Mindy. If she sent Mindy a Thank You card with a check for 100 grand, maybe the Gloria sighting would stop.
Agree, she did NOT steal it, she was ALLOWED to go ahead in line. A thief is someone who takes something that does not belong to them and not in clear site.
Stack- Gloria could very well have said " Thank You " when she was allowed to cut in line. The conversation ended there.Both those two and every living organism on this planet had no idea what would next unfold. The assumption that had Gloria not stepped in line, the eventual winner would have been Mindy is fantasy. The numbers spat out in QP's is changing in nano seconds, we also have no idea whether mindy was going for qick picks either.We also dealing with probability & outcome, both of which were not in Mindy's corner in speaking of getting the winning ticket. There is no " that was my ticket" scenario. We chasing smoke here.
just submit your requests via my 1900... number
SONNY BOY probably got his cut already. If mommy catches them smoking bone, they could always tell her, that they are performing a new age exercise, specially designed, for newly minted multi-millionaires. Sounds plausible to me.
gone was her privacy. now people know what she bought and where she lives
The former owner of the home was a hematologist oncologist
Hematologist Oncologist is doctor with special training in diagnosis and treatment
of blood disease, especially blood cells....
ohhhh ok....lol
Sorry but that is what stood out in this article for me lol
Sounds about right, a doctor owning a home like that.
Anyways...congrats to Gloria with her new home, enjoy every bit of it.
I have learned some new urban slang in this thread (that I had to look up). ewwwwwwwww
did she not say the money will not change me. wow what a lying bitch. thanks because of you i will no longer belive anything old ladies or hags say.
How did she change?
I don't think the money really changed her, she has nearly $300 million and she bought a house for $1m.. She's still an old penny pinching cheap skate!
I doubt we will be hearing about her going broke anytime soon.
The money won't change me when I win a large jackpot, it'll change my lifestyle though.
Whoa, sounds like somebody got up on the wrong side of bed this morning.
What is with the nasty language? This lady doesn't owe you a thing. And what is she suppose to do buy a crappy house so she can appease you? She won a lot of money. Let her enjoy it without resulting to calling her misogynistic slurs.
People who say that sudden fortunes will not change them are liars. I don't even know why people say that. It must be the PC thing to say in these PC times.
I'm glad she bought a nice house, I would too.
If the money changes her that is alright too.
If I won I'm sure my self esteem would improve:
I'm sure I'd be more confident:
I think I'd be happier too:
Oh yeah, and a house on a golf course:
I would expect her to do the same if she was 24, if she wanted to try for some modicom of privacy. Wild nights of parties yachts, driving fancy cars, and going to VIP clubs would guarantee paparazzi for a jackpot winner of this size.
Btw, why can't she drive a fancy car at least? Just because she's 84 does not mean she has to sit around knitting or doing crossword puzzles. I think it'd be great to see her in a Ferarri California, toodling along at 35 in a 45 zone.
If / when I hit a major jackpot I am quite certain that at least my address will change. I want the best
million sq/ft laboratory a jackpot can buy. I will most likely have a mattress somewhere in a back closet
for when / if I ever need to sleep.
RL
If she's truly smart and has good advisors she shouldn't be quite so easy to locate. Perhaps they figured that the press would follow her and figure it out anyway, but buying the house in her daughter's name certainly didn't cause any trouble for those who were trying to find out. Then again, it's also possible that she'll be moving again in the fairly near future, and might already have purchased something through an entity that the press won't easily trace to her.
When I win, people may as well mind their own business as I will be racking up a lot of frequent flyer miles the year after I win. I won't purchase a house or any automobiles/toys during that time, but I just might purchase some investment property (of course in a properly structured entity). By the time I cool my traveling heels (or will I really do that), there will have been at least a couple of larger jackpot winners and even a feel good jackpot lottery pool for the media hounds to zero in on. And for those who insist on sending me "Dear Jackpot Lottery Winner" letters, I hope they don't seriously expect a response!
I agree. I was about to post and use the same word--misogynistic! So if she spent any money, it means she "changed?" Did the prior poster know her? Sounds very, very resentful. I am glad she is in a gated community now due to people like this. I guess she should act like Pedro and run his mouth.
I'm sure your momma wouldn't purposely deceive you.
I think she should go to LA and race Justin Bieber and beat some sense into him.
I was talking about the extra attention Gloria is getting because someone followed her, took the pictures coming out of a restaurant and Walmart, and found out she bought the house. And I used the Mindy incident as a possible reason. As far as whether or not Mindy has anything coming is a different discussion.
People are curious about what the jackpot winners are doing, at least on LP, because they watch the TV show documenting jackpot winners. It seems to me for someone who wanted no attention, for some reason Gloria is getting a lot of it.