GARNET VALLEY, Pa. — A Pennsylvania couple who took home more than $10 million in Delaware's first Hot Lotto jackpot eight years ago traded in their mobile home for a four-bedroom house but say their good fortune hasn't changed them.
In August 2009, Robert Crowther already had retired from the Chrysler Assembly Plant in Newark, Delaware, where he had worked for more than 30 years. Since the Crowthers opted to take the jackpot as a lump sum of $10,774,362 rather than as a deferred annuity, life has been "marvelous," he said.
"We pretty much do what we want when we want," Crowther said. "But really, I'm still the same old Bob I've always been."
He said his wife, Rose, is still the same old Rose, too, except she finally has the swimming pool that she always wanted. And she's in love with their 5,200-square-foot house; she never wants to leave.
Although Bob Crowther, now 75, and his wife, now 74, frequently played lotteries in Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, he said he didn't really expect to win. They already had had their fair share of luck.
Three or four weeks earlier, Rose Crowther had won $100,000 on a scratch-off game in Pennsylvania. In 1986, they won another $5,000 in Delaware.
Rose Crowther used some money she had won in another scratch-off to buy the big winning ticket.
"My wife came home from the store after trying to check it and thought we'd only won $16,000," Bob Crowther told Delaware Lottery officials in 2009.
"I took another look at it and was sure that we had all the numbers right, but I still didn't know how much it was worth because I didn't know if there had been any other winners in the drawing," he said then. "It was thrilling to hear that we'd hit for the whole jackpot! My first reaction was: 'No more bills.' I think my wife is still in a state of shock."
Their odds of winning were 1 in almost 11 million, according to (Wilmington, Delaware)News Journalarchives.
"This is a real life changer," Bob Crowther said at the time.
The Crowthers say they won't be among the lottery players who won and then lost it all. They prepared before claiming their prize.
The couple met with a lawyer and financial advisers at their bank and immediately drew up a will, splitting up their assets to keep them safe, Bob Crowther said. They also started a trust fund with about $4 million for their kids, grandkids and great-grandkids.
"I didn't know how to do it, which is why I had the bank do it," he said. "I would really, really suggest that anyone who wins large amounts of money have a good lawyer and a good financial adviser."
They also set aside a good amount of money for themselves and invested in a few stocks. After cashing in their winning ticket, they closed the tavern they owned near their home and retired for real.
In 2009, Bob Crowther told lottery officials that he and his wife were going to buy a house and use the rest of the money to take care of their family. They've done just that, he said Tuesday.
The Crowthers paid off their daughter's mortgage and remodeled her house, bought both their grandson and grandaughter houses and cars and lavished their three great-grandchildren with gifts.
They also go on trips during the summer. They've been to Universal Studios and Disney, as well as Jamaica and Turks and Caicos, an archipelago of coral islands southeast of the Bahamas.
Bob Crowther said no one really has pressured them for money though he has lent some to his brother and a nephew. He and his wife aren't really worried about spending all the money anymore either.
Eight years ago their accountant told them they eventually would reach the point where they wouldn't want to buy anything else.
"And he was right," Bob Crowther said.
The couple does purchase lottery tickets. Old habits die hard.
"My wife still plays," Crowther said. "She plays them all, every day. We've had small wins since then but nothing big."
The Hot Lotto game ended in October, 2017, and was replaced by the Lotto America multi-state game. The main reason for Hot Lotto's cancellation was the rigging of its computerized drawings by former MUSL employee Eddie Tipton, who is currently serving a 25-year prison sentence for the crime.
Thanks to Leland B. for the tip.
congrats!
aw. i love this. work hard his ENTIRE ADULT life so far and then to sit back and not have to fret over things anymore(financially/homelessness/poverty/medical coverage/insurance, or their kids is awesome.) No worries anymore for these two rich folks$ and the daughter mortgage he is paying off too? I love this story...
I'm assuming sixties? Work thirty long years, so i am not sure, but if so i am happy for Bob, the same "ole-bob"is right.DON'T change sir.
Don't change, blessed 1..." Less worries/less stress = LIVIN' good at all ages."
But, doing what we all in life, wanna do, just jet-set and go!
Now, that's living stress-free, no drama. just living nice and comfortably."
Brand new house with FOUR brs,
in a lovely suburban quiet home, great area, prime area, and have a god bless life,making all of their new and old dreams coming true, at any age is a true blessing/true way to live, so enjoy with your loving wife and family, invest, and utilize it wisely.SO HAPPY for these two."(SMART to take the lump sum.)$$$
This is definitely a feel-good story. Thank You.
It's marvelous!
A good lawyer and excellent financial advisers. Yes.
Buying a house and taking care of their family. I am sure that the financial advisers put them on a budget.
No curse of the lottery here.
Going to be a great week for wonderful, positive stories like this.
They had their feet on the ground prior to all these wins and unchanged for the big one. Something to emulate from.
Level headed, sound actions, smart choices, no issues.... They are former LP'ers aren't they ?
This story has a happy ending because the winners relied upon competent professionals and self-restraint. It seems like most of the "lotto curse" stories involve people who made poor life and financial decisions before winning the lottery. After winning the lottery, those same people just have more money to use in their poor life and financial decisions.
Yep, but the media prefer to focus on the minority who are dysfunctional. This is a great feel-good story and I think there are many many more winners like the Crowthers who are level-headed. I'm very happy for them.
The lump sum was $10,774,362. Taxes were what, at least $4 million. They set up a $4 million trust fund for kids, etc. Meaning they were left with about $2 million for themselves, and since they appear to be spending wisely, that could easily last the rest of their lives when combined with his pension, their Social Security, and any other available retirement funds. Nicely done, Mr. & Mrs. Crowther!
The jackpot was $16.7 million. The $10,774,362 was the take home after taxes.
Music,
While having the positive success stories of winners years after is wonderful to hear and I do wish we could read a few more from time to time. I also find it a bit more educational of what not to do should someone be blessed with a large jackpot win. Granted, some of it is plain ignorance and/or lack of ethics(imho). I am not a fan of negativity and bad lotto stories as a mainstay but do greatly appreciate the "if I could do it over" or "I did this" pitfalls of some winners.
I am thankful for this site and the educational positive posting of Lottery do's/don'ts from the everyday player. Nothing speaks education to me more than the real life situations the LP family members suggest or relay. Just my nickels worth on the subject.
You might want to reread the story. The $10.77 million was the pre-tax cash value.
Using the nominal tax rates at the time the after-tax take home would have been about $6.8 million, leaving $2.8 million after putting $4 million into a trust for kids and grand kids. It's also worth noting that just because the article reports that they put $4 million into a trust for their kids and grand kids doesn't guarantee that they don't gain some benefit from that money.
CDanaT, Have you ever heard of Mark Gardiner? He split a jackpot in Britain with his business partner. Each received 11.7 million pounds. Mark's "I did this" and "If I could do it over" confessions were what he did to his close friends. Mark bought the three friends homes near his home. But after the paperwork went through and the friends owned their property they turned around and sold the homes/gifts for cash. Mark lost three friendships.
Mark Gardiner can be found on Australia's Insight. "Windfall". Plus on YouTube. He might even have a book out by now. He won in 1995.