A New Jersey man who claimed a $273 million Mega Millions lottery jackpot this week left the winning ticket at the store.
While "messing" with his phone, Mike Weirsky misplaced $273 million last Thursday.
When he realized on Friday that he left behind the two Mega Millions tickets he bought at the Quick Chek on New Brunswick Avenue in Pohatcong Township, he returned to the store.
"A Good Samaritan" had found them and the store was holding them in a drawer awaiting Weirsky's return, he said on a frigid Wednesday morning wearing a Harley Davidson T-shirt and blue jeans on his front porch in the blue-collar community of Alpha.
It was still before the drawing so the tickets were worth what he paid for them -- $2 each.
The 54-year-old 1984 Phillipsburg High School graduate picked them up and didn't think about them again for a few days, he said.
Friday's drawing came and went. A ticket with the jackpot winning numbers 29-33-39-60-66 with a Mega Ball of 21 and a multiplier of two was worth $273 million, according to the New Jersey Lottery. The cash-out would be $162,500,000, the lottery added.
It wasn't until Sunday night in the heart the snowstorm that Weirsky was talking to a friend, who played and lost the Mega Millions. So Weirsky took out his two tickets. The first was a loser, he said. He tossed it in the trash can. He scanned the second on his phone and it came back as the jackpot winner.
He told his mom, Shirley, who figured he was pulling her leg. She definitively didn't believe him, he said.
He paced the house for a few hours before taking the ticket to a local Bagelsmith and had it run through the lottery machine there, he said.
Confirmation.
He was a millionaire. Times many.
A person who answered the phone Wednesday morning at the business said that story was true.
Weirsky headed home and told his mom again. This time she believed him, he said.
When asked Wednesday morning if he won the lottery, Weirsky said, "Maybe," then he laughed. He was holding the paperwork in his hands, he said.
A limo was soon to pick up Weirsky, his mom, his Aunt Mary Fegley, friend Barry Olah and two of Weirsky's cousins to take them to Trenton so he could make it official. They were stopping for more friends along the way. They were not expecting a formal ceremony, just a meeting with a couple of lottery officials, Weirsky said.
When asked to see the ticket, Weirsky said he wasn't showing it to anyone until he got to Trenton.
A New Jersey Lottery spokesman declined on Wednesday morning to confirm Weirsky was the winner.
Weirsky said he's already spoken to his attorney and his financial advisor. On Wednesday morning, he bought a new Ford Raptor pickup. His 2012 pickup is in good shape, he said, but he'd driven it cross-country a few times so it was time for something new.
He's looking at a new house on Saturday, he added.
He's still not sure about the tax implications of his win, but, no matter what, he'll have more money than he'll be able to spend, he said. He probably will never touch the principal, he added.
Many in his hometown know he's the winner but no one has been bugging him, he said. He shared beers the other night at Sharkys with a friend who casually mentioned the windfall but didn't push for information. Alpha's just that kind of town, he said.
Weirsky is unemployed but has been picking up money doing handyman work for a friend and will keep doing that until the friend can find a replacement, he said.
He'd been "following his wife" around the country for the past 15 years, but they got divorced in October so he's been starting over to a degree, he said. They had no children.
He's ready for those with their hands out. Those who treated him well before will have his ear. Those who didn't can forget about it, he said.
He can joke now about his life up to this point.
"I was a bum in high school, I was a bum after," he said with a laugh. "Maybe I'll be a beach bum now."
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"He'd been "following his wife" around the country for the past 15 years, but they got divorced in October so he's been starting over to a degree, he said. They had no children."
That's a funny story, good for him. The only weird part is this:
A New Jersey Lottery spokesman declined on Wednesday morning to confirm Weirsky was the winner.
He's already blabbed to everyone and their grandma, what's the harm in confirming it? lol.
ZOO JERSEY!
Congratulations to the winner!! Spend it wisely.
Good luck for those on LP who are playing powerball tonight. Someone on this board win this thing!!
LOL, I bet the former Mrs. Weirsky is kicking herself.
I am happy or him but I worry he will end up on one of those lists of lottery winners who either lose it all or end up buried under someone’s patio. I know it is unfair to judge just from one article but he seems like the type who will be too generous for his own good.
Congrats, ya bum!
Easy come, easier go!
Drinks for everyone!
I thought the same thing. I bet his ex wife could have helped prevent that from happening.
The fact that he got his tickets back shows me he was destined to win. It was a miracle that someone did not pick up the tickets and keep them.
One would think claiming anonymously would end the "winners stories", but the South Carolina Lottery spokesman told enough information about the winner, that lots of people probably know their identity. The weird part is some winners put all their info out there while others would prefer total anonymity.
Neat story!
No age, gender, job info , etc. was provided by the SC lottery.
He should try to find that good samaritan and give him a little something. If it wasn't for his honesty, he wouldn't be a winner today.
This smells a bit like Jack Whittaker initially. Time will Tell.
sc should at least give:
1.)Initials, age bracket.
2.)County .
As much as people spend on daily lottery games, i think it's only right. I think it'll give those still tryin' to win much hope."
+
In New Jersey, this dude should be shoutin' to the rooftop, "I am goin' to find somehow, the person/good/great person who was so honest and give him thousands or
pay her or his rent.or mortgage for a long year, let' em save up, the money for a whole year!(that they would of utilized for rent or mortgage etc.) i think that would be so honorable, and nice. But, congrats..."
Cassie8620, I think that before giving a large donation to a stranger you should get the advice of a financial adviser. Things might go wrong. Protect yourself. Especially with gift taxes.
Do you know who the Good Samaritan is? It is our fearless leader Todd Northrop from New Jersey.
I like this group photo a lot. Gosh, what surreal thoughts these folks must be thinking!
Looking at USAMEGA. This winner had one year to claim his prize. I do not know if N.J. allows Trusts or not. How about an LLC Limited Liability Company.
Also, the State of New Jersey taxes winnings at 8%.
I believe that when one discovers he or she owns a major winning ticket. Slow Down! Your future life will be lived in a slow-motion way. You now have time on your side. You can do and say almost anything you like at any time. Staying under the law of course. Wisdom is required here.
This winner has escaped the rat race and will no longer need to win it and still remain a rat.
Learning from the mistakes of past lottery winners will be helpful.
I just learned that Brad Duke was conned out some of his money by trusted individuals soon after he collected his money. If it can happen to Brad it can happen to anyone.
There are wolves dressed in sheep's clothing. You can see them by their fruits. Past behavior is a good indicator of future behavior.
As in most gaming "Quit while you are ahead". This winner is ahead.
Good question about claiming trusts and claiming LLCs in New Jersey. Their lottery website offers almost no information, but I did find this in a news article from 2018:
The New Jersey Lottery is compelled to release the name of the person or organization that filed the claim as well as the town and retailer where the ticket was sold, according to spokeswoman Mary Ann Rivell.
Rivell said she can only remember one instance in her years at the lottery of a person forming an LLC before arriving at lottery headquarters to present a winning ticket.
So, it looks like you can shield yourself with a legal entity, but it's a well-kept secret in NJ.
https://www.nj.com/lottery/2018/02/can_lottery_jackpot_winners_in_nj_form_an_llc_to_h.html
Oh really?
According to a statement from the commission, the winner confided in how unlikely the win was — that he (or she) had let a fellow customer buy a Quick Pick Mega Millions lottery ticket ahead of him in line the day he made his own lottery ticket purchase at the KC Mart in Simpsonville.
Bet the "fellow customer" he let go "ahead of him" knows the identity.
You probably only read the LP article and though it doesn't mention age or job, there are several other articles including one where the Mayor of Simpsonville seems to know where the winner works and possibly their identity. I guess it depends on the definition of claiming anonymously mine doesn't include being interview by lottery spokesmen and them telling the press what the anonymous winner says.
I like this guy's philosophy...'he remembers those who treated him kindly prior". People really are clueless in how their actions can be remembered long after their attitude leaves a room.
Sadly though his ex wife gets to mosey into court and claim half the win. NJ is still of the opinion that an adult female can't get a job and support herself. They do love giving spousal support...
Good though for him that he has some common sense...he sounds like he'll do okay after he gets his major purchases out of the way.
Congrats to the lucky guy.
You stated the lottery released the identifiable info. False and the rest is mere speculation..."seems to know." When someone wins a jp that large, everyone will start claiming they know who it is. We had lp members claiming to know who won as well before it was even claimed. Indentifiable info means personal identifiable info, not narrowing it down to 50% of the population.
But again, all the speculation benefits the real winner.
Why would his ex wife be entitled to any of it? If she moved around for her career for 15 years, sounds like she had been the one supporting both of them.
The winner appears to be a kind human being. The winner should consult with an accountant before gifting her anything. There is the $15,000.00 gift tax annual exclusion amount. Then the lifetime estate exemption for gifts greater than that. All gift tax-free.
This winner appears to have found a good part of N.J. to live in. Very few beggars if any. That is a gem in itself. But do not forget about the mail and phone calls.
Congrats to the Winner! You were in the Right Place at the Right Time!
Give his ex-wife a 7 letter word to go along the 7 letter word of divorce=NOTHING!
Another feel good story.
Somehow he strikes me as a good old goofball, very laid back type of guy. Wifey probably divorced him...now who has the last laugh Sweetheart! LOL, who cares?
I agree, and good morning/afternoon music. It's Todd the owner here, or is this a joke, if not? Totally awesome!
lol
I was talkin' bout that with my older brother who was saying, "Cass, some do not care about cash like this lol"
or are uh-ummm pretending not to care, lol but lol @ Bleu dog 101.
if she does not care about having "a lot of cash then it will not bother nor phase the ex-partner of his, the ex spouse."
Either way having the LAST laugh albeit a woman or man, after being mis-treated is the BEST feeling..." lol
oh OPRAH miss billionaire$$$ did that, for sure, and i m one who wished i was in the LUCKY AUDIENCE that day.
lol
Congrats again.
I’m very curious, first of all I wouldn’t even have said the story about the Good Samaritan for that reason alone. But second, what if the “Good Samaritan” just put the tickets they found in their pocket and walked on. What would happen to that person? Would they actually be able to claim the jackpot? With all the questions and security checks. If they found it and did not buy it themselves. I’m very curious about this in terms of how they pay out. Thanks for any that are knowledgeable on this.
Yes, Cassie8620, it is a joke. I just made it up from thin air. Sorry about the disappointment.
My thought exactly BG. I also think he throw that line in about “ following the ex for 15 years as a dig at her.” I got to thinking on that. Picture this scenario.
The ex: Mike, when are you going to amount to something, you a loser, when are you going to get your life together, cause you driving me up the wall by being a bum, l am so tired of you, your presence alone makes me ill.. l am filing for divorce!
Mike : Babe, give me a chance, l know things will turn around for me, for us- please don’t do this.
The ex: Sorry, l just can’t take it anymore.
Mike: Well l am sorry for everything, all the best to you & your future.
This week: Hello Mike, this is Cindy, your wife, sorry ex wife. Please call me when you get a chance.l love you!
Remember to create a PreNup. A Prenuptial contract to protect your assets in the future.
Will Mike and Cindy forgive each other and live happily ever after?
I thought maybe he was what is known as a “trailing spouse” and that was the basis for the comment. If you work in an industry ( or the military) where you are transferred around a lot your spouse follows you and can end up with a spotty work history because they end up changing jobs a lot.
If the marriage has ended I agree she probably isn’t entitled to anything but she may have been grateful throughout the marriage that he was willing to move and not reach his full career potential while she obtained her career goals.
In theory a lottery ticket is known as a “bearer instrument” and whoever signs the back would be considered the owner of the ticket. As long as you are upfront and say you found the ticket (keep in mind the lottery knows exactly when the ticket was sold and most likely has a video of the winner purchasing the ticket) and you didn’t steal the ticket the lottery would eventually pay out to you.
I say eventually because I think if they know you didn’t actually purchase the ticket there might be a bigger security review of the claim. They also may try to delay paying until they see if anyone is going to come forward and claim any type of malfeasance or start a lawsuit over the ticket. If that happened it would probably be up to the courts to decide who gets the money. There have been many cases when there was a disputed claim and the court ordered the money frozen until the case is decided.
Congrats to the winner .
Would NEVER rush to face the lottery officials , he should have brought him a mask to go along with it .
This way people wouldn't know what he looks like . Doesn't people use their Common Sense ,
and figure away not to face the cameras . What happen to Safety First ?
Reminds me of the couple from Tennessee going on Ellen with their 1/3 winning lottery ticket from that $1.6 billion drawing a couple of years ago. Showing it off like that, how stupid IMO.
The Lottery Industry is using you as advertising. Free to them but costly to you. You are their product and they want to sell your good luck.
This is gaming. Advertising works.
Wow. It is interesting. My mind could wander a little about this. Different directions. Thanks.
I said the South Carolina Lottery spokesman told enough information about the winner, that lots of people probably know their identity. Did you think I meant lots of people in the U.S. and/or world?
"You stated the lottery released the identifiable info."
And I posted the "identifiable info" that came directly from the LP article and mentioned other articles about SC jackpot winner.
"We had lp members claiming to know who won as well before it was even claimed."
I don't make it my business to question every LP member that says they "know something" and I never said I knew "who won" that jackpot. I first questioned why the winner waited so long to validate the ticket and then speculation on why. It's called an "opinion" and there are lots on "opinions" about lottery stuff on LP and not against the rules. Most people understand the point of discussing lottery topics is to voice one's "opinion".
"Indentifiable info means personal identifiable info, not narrowing it down to 50% of the population."
My "speculation" narrowed the people that may know the winner to probably less than 100 people that live and/or work in the Simpsonville area. The population of Simpsonville is almost 21,000 and knowing for a fact the ticket was purchased in the city doesn't prove the winner lives there. The only reason you're pretending I posted something I didn't is to argue.
But hay, it's none of my business if you're on LP to question what people say or just to argue nonsense; find someone else to play your games, I'm too busy.
l know what you meant LL, my Father is a Marine, he tells me there is no “ was” when it comes to being a Marine. However going off what he said about being a “ bum” l figured there is a possibility, that the ex wife hurled those insults his way. In any event, he is free of her, to choose a new path.l * think he would not have added that bit to the story, about following the wife,including having no kids.
By all accounts, he turned to his family, leaving her out of the picture. As for her being kind etc during the marriage, well that’s a topic for another day. At present, the ex is in his rear view mirror.
He's going to be on the CBS Evening News in a few minutes.
Lol. Well all, I made my point. The SC winner is still anonymous. It Is funny how someone who questions posts and facts by other members routinely with the ocd blue highlighting, gets so upset when the tables are turned. But some people have way more free time than most of us.
Prenups are not iron clad.