NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A man with a winning $259.8 million Powerball ticket claimed what officials are calling the largest jackpot ever won in Tennessee and says he plans to use most of the money to support the performing arts.
Roy Cockrum, of Knoxville, appeared Thursday at the Tennessee Lottery headquarters in Nashville to claim the prize. He plans to accept a lump sum payment of $115 million.
Cockrum, 58, bought the ticket at a Kroger store in Knoxville on June 11.
Cockrum said in a statement that when he realized he had won the jackpot, it "literally knocked me to my knees."
He then said a little prayer, picked himself up, put the winning ticket in his wallet and went to pick up his mother.
Cockrum worked 20 years as an actor and stage manager for theater and television. He later became known as Brother Roy as he followed a call to religious service with The Society of Saint John the Evangelist, an Episcopal religious community in Cambridge, Massachusetts. According to the society's "Rule of Life," members of the monastic order take "lifelong vows of poverty, celibacy and obedience in an enduring fellowship."
He moved back to Knoxville in 2009 to care for his parents, the lottery said.
"I really believe the best way to prepare for this tsunami of cash has been to live under a vow of poverty for a number of years," Cockrum said. "It gives great perspective."
Cockrum said he plans to use most of the money to start a foundation that will support performing arts organizations around the country.
"It's going to be my job to work very hard to make sure that every single penny of this prize is a blessing to whoever it touches," he said during a news conference. Beyond that, Cockrum had little to say and let lottery officials do most of the talking.
Lottery officials say it's the largest prize ever won in Tennessee Lottery history.
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Listen everyone, I do not want anyone to suffer, so I am more than willing to take one for the team and receive the winnings. Any thank you cards may be sent to my private island.
Congrats to Roy on his big win.
From the article:
"........worked 20 years as an actor and stage manager for theater and television. He later became known as Brother Roy as he followed a call to religious service with The Society of Saint John the Evangelist, an Episcopal religious community in Cambridge, Massachusetts. According to the society's "Rule of Life," members of the monastic order take "lifelong vows of poverty, celibacy and obedience in an enduring fellowship.""
Ut oh.
Is the Society going to demand it all?
I wonder if he is allowed to at least have a Corona Extra with a lime. Okay maybe Corona Extra is not a poor man's beer. How about a King Cobra?
This is further proof that everyone has their own version of the "dream" when they buy a lottery ticket.
He took a "lifelong vow of poverty, celibacy and obedience" to god and now he wins $259M in the lottery!
Incredible!
I'd better start praying.
"...he plans to use most of the money to support the performing arts."
Good for him. I'd much rather see him supporting the performing arts than have my tax dollars do it.
This is puzzling...
He plans to " give most of his money to the performing arts"..
He joins a religious order where he was known as Brother Roy- how is it that the " order he belonged too- is not getting most of the money? Did he see something odd in the Society of St John the Evangelist that changed his mind?
Does the Society not need " support?"
... after all, he did fall to his knees and .....prayed.
Perhaps the order will get 10% or maybe they frown on any form of gambling so won't accept the proceeds. If he saw something untoward about the order, it's doubtful he would have told the lottery officials that much about it. I went to a Jesuit school. The nuns and fathers had these same vows and were very strict about it. They would accept no gift that had any real monetary value. If a parent insisted, they requested the donation to be made to a charity instead. If this order is even half as strict, then they would not accept the money even if Brother Roy tried to give it to them.
Well that's neat. I think he'll do good things with the cash
I just hope his " " decision don't come back to haunt him the few years down the virtual road
I didnt tke ny vow of poverty, i just got lucky i guess.
If he took a "vow of Poverty" why buy lottery tickets that have a probability of earning you millions of dollars if you win.
I'd call that poor vow of poverty planning.
But anyway, congratulations to the winner!
POVERTY IS OVER!!!
I'd say he hit the lottery twice...his parents didn't take a vow of celibacy.
To each his own I suppose. I would set up a foundation to help the poor, hungry and the needy. Funding the Performing Arts would not be in my top 20 charities to donate to.
maybe I should take a lifelong vow of poverty too. Then buy some lottery tickets and hope I win millions of dollars.
Vow of poverty for the win!
I get what you saying Teddi, my point is that "every" business, order, religious or otherwise needs money to survive to a certain extent. Even the disciples of Christ carried a money box in which Judas Ischariot was in charge of overseeing.
I just don't get the " poverty a way of life". Makes me wonder why Brother Roy played the lottery in the first place since it would be viewed as touching the 3rd rail by the Order of St John.
However- to each his own.
Congratulations, Roy, on your BIG Powerball jackpot win, whether you change your mind to keep it or most of it or whatever!
I wonder if it will be a problem/impossible for Roy to find performing arts companies to donate to who have a record of not broadcasting nudity, near nudity, profanities, mocking of religions, mocking of countries, etc. Or, perhaps that doesn't matter to Roy. I would have thought it would have made more sense, to Roy, to donate monies to an established religious church or order; if he still believes in any. Or, the article didn't mention if either of his parents are still alive, if yes, I'm surprised Roy doesn't plan to keep a few million dollars for them to enjoy (he is merely 59).
I'm thinking this could get quite interesting.
The article in the OP mentioned he belongs to an Episcopalian order. The Presiding Bishop (highest ranking person, denominational leader) of the Episcopalian church is Katharine Jefferts Schori, a former oceanographer who got turned down for a research grant so went to a seminary.
Some Episcopalian churches, entire dioceses, have split away to an organization called ACNA, the Anglican Council of North America, a much more conservative group.
Because of this the Presiding Bishop has sued those churches for the church property and has even sued individual vestry members for their own private property.
That considered, think she wouldn't go after a lottery jackpot?
If you've ever been around these people for a few years, the 'poverty way of life' wouldn't seem so strange. They never want anything for themselves. In exchange for teaching services they were provided with room and board. They have no income and they accept no contributions. When I say poverty, I mean poverty. They even walk everywhere they need to go because they have no form of transportation. A vehicle is considered an unnecessary waste of money that could be better spent on those in need. They take their vows that seriously.
So that being said, I do find it really weird that Brother Roy actually got cash from somewhere and used that cash to gamble with. I'm not getting why that wasn't a big no-no.
I can't imagine Mother Teresa running to a convenience store to pick up powerball tickets. But perhaps Brother Roy's order isn't as strict.
Very interesting indeed. Definitely want to see how this plays out. But I suppose if he puts it in a trust or if he leaves the order she wouldn't be able to touch it, not to mention the bad publicity if she tried to go after it.
Teddi,
If there was any thing odd about the order he would have left first, no?
As others have mentioned here it doesn't make sense to take a vow of poverty and play the lottery.
Re: Jesuits, if you haven't heard this one (a priest told this one)
Every day some seminary students were arguing over which was the highest order of priests. The theology professor was aware of it but never said anything.
Then one morning when they came into the class room this was on the blackboard:
ALL ORDERS OF PRIESTS ARE EQUAL
GOD.
SJ
The circumstances leading up to his win are rather strange. I agree with many here as to why he even bought a lottery ticket especially after taking a vow of poverty. There are many charities in need of help and I don't think the arts and film industry is part of that group but that's just my feelings and since this gentleman is the one who won the prize he can do whatever he wishes.
According to the article he was also taking care of his parents so hopefully he will make their lives a little bit easier.
Ditto. The more private citizens can donate to the arts, the better. It also keeps the govt out of censoring.
Congrats to Roy. I hope he lives up to his promises.
All that said.. I never took a vow of poverty, but I'm assuming I can stretch this last $50 to the 15th....
Congratulation Mr. Roy <snip>rum
This is a sign from God, that vows of celibacy, are for the birds. If we all took vows of celibacy, out species shall be extinct. I guess he plays the lottery, so he can be poor. Next thing you know, he got some teenager pregnant somewhere. If he was serious about his vows, he wouldn't be caught dead near a lottery machine. Now he can have his own harem, and designate it as part of the performance arts. Who are you kidding?. With a name like C-O-C-K-R-U-M, who knows what he will be up to next?. Even the LP computer, snips his name as a dirty word. It's all beginning to make sense now.
he also won Publishers Clearing House too. http://www.wbir.com/story/news/local/2014/07/03/knoxville-powerball-jackpot-winner-claims-prize/12163329/
Sounds like taking a vow of poverty is the first class ticket to a life of wealth.
After Romney was castigated for talking about cutting the funding for PBS, I did some research about the shows and how much money they pull in. There were quite a few programs that really didn't need govt. money (read: yours and mine); they were making money hand-over-fist with merchandising, etc. The progressives ran to town with "Mitt wants to kill Big Bird!" but Sesame Street does quite well with merchandising, licensing of products. I picked out a few dozen shows and figured they'd do well on other networks, such as This Old House would probably do well on HG TV, Nova on Discovery, America's Test Kitchen on The Food Network, etc. I don't have cable now, and can't get the Amarillo PBS station over the airwaves, but I love most of the programming....just think it can stand on its own w/out govt. funding. They have adverts now, plus the ubiquitous and frequent fund raisers - I'm not understanding how it can't support itself. I'm def. for cutting off funding for NPR, the only viable way the leftists can have a voice on the radio.
I don't care how Roy spends his money - he can donate to the performing arts, can give it all to the DNC, he can donate it to his church....why, he can light $25 cigars w/ hundred dollar bills, it's his to do with as he wishes. I wouldn't do those things, but then again, I don't care what others think I should do with my money if I win the JP.
He even had a press conference
WHY?. Having a press conference, after you win the lottery, is definitely not the way to go, unless the lottery has it as a condition for claiming your money.