First winner of big Illinois Lotto jackpot didn't let riches change him

Comment #31

jerryb*49 — Wed, 31 Dec 2014 03:34:02 GMT

Upon further review, make that a half billionaire assuming I received a $20 million lump sum, invested in the S P 500, and paid no income or CG taxes. No inflation adjustment.

Comment #30

jerryb*49 — Tue, 30 Dec 2014 23:22:57 GMT

It would be interesting if the article reported Mr. Wittkowski's current net worth. If I had that much money invested for 30 years, I'd be a billionaire

Comment #29

dallascowboyfan — Tue, 30 Dec 2014 21:50:19 GMT

Good for your Mike Wittkowski

Comment #28

fwlawrence — Tue, 30 Dec 2014 08:12:43 GMT

I remember waiting in line for a $70 million jackpot but that was over 25years ago

Comment #27

haymaker — Tue, 30 Dec 2014 03:24:55 GMT

True enough,

But the thing is, back then many states did'nt have lottery and there was no MM or PB.

Comment #26

Teddi — Tue, 30 Dec 2014 02:40:06 GMT

Good point. I completely forgot to factor in inflation. Even so, a $90 million jackpot win would only make it into local news...if it even does. No one would care unless there was something else involved to make it newsworthy, like being won by a vet or a homeless person or the winner gave it all away...something in that vein. It just seems unbelievable that at some point a $40 million was a big enough deal to be a national event.

Comment #25

DC81 — Tue, 30 Dec 2014 02:05:04 GMT

That 40 million in 1984 would be equal to a bit over 90 million today though.

Comment #24

Teddi — Tue, 30 Dec 2014 01:21:06 GMT

You're probably right. Less than $300 million doesn't even make it in the News any more. I'm with you. I get excited about any win. A $20 win had me grinning like an idiot for an entire day. I'd probably do backflips if I won $40 million.

Comment #23

Teddi — Tue, 30 Dec 2014 01:03:48 GMT

I've seen more than a few people on TLCML and COTL who filed for bankruptcy or simply lost it all who took the annuity. Graduated payments mean nothing to those who simply can't live within a set budget.

Comment #22

HaveABall — Mon, 29 Dec 2014 20:27:06 GMT

Yeah, SoleWinner21, I would be okay to have a max $4M gifting amount during one's LIVING lifetime without taxation ... where one could give that $4M as a lump sum; rather than dragging/spreading it out at the current good 'ole U.S.A. limit of $14K (tax free to both sender and receiver) per year

Comment #21

SoleWinner21 — Mon, 29 Dec 2014 14:29:52 GMT

That gift tax BS really pisses me off. They already take out a good amount in tax when you win. Now you shell out more for giving someone as a gift. What about all that wasteful spending the government does yearly. Fcuking unbelievable

Comment #20

One-Day — Mon, 29 Dec 2014 12:56:15 GMT

Edit: sorry, wrong article.

Comment #19

PrinceRene — Mon, 29 Dec 2014 07:05:59 GMT

That $40 million was at some point, a record breaking amount, now it's a starting off point. 30 years from now will people consider $600 million jackpots blas ?

I have no doubt that will be the case. It's 2014 and there are already some people who consider any jackpot under $200 million unimpressive. I'm not one of these people.

Comment #18

Coin Toss — Mon, 29 Dec 2014 03:33:38 GMT

Teddi,

Didn't need the information age back then. He was working in a print shop in Chicago, the story appeared on WGN-TV which was/is a super-station back then, so the story went nation-wide to anyone with cable.

Have A Ball.

The only thing I know to do is track it day by day on the Illinois lottery site. On the home page just click on Lucky Day Lotto and then payouts for Midday and Evening.

Comment #17

shadowlady — Mon, 29 Dec 2014 02:50:23 GMT

I am happy to read a story about someone who did well with their life after a big win. My husband and I are not sure whether we would take an annuity or cash. It would depend on the amount won.

Comment #16

noise-gate — Mon, 29 Dec 2014 02:22:31 GMT

It would seem that even though the checks stopped coming a decade ago- he has no regrets. One can only think of those who won and decided to take the Cash option and blew through their winnings in 5-10 years.. or less.

Comment #15

HaveABall — Mon, 29 Dec 2014 02:13:34 GMT

, Teddi

Comment #14

Teddi — Mon, 29 Dec 2014 01:59:15 GMT

Three things struck me

That $40 million was at some point, a record breaking amount, now it's a starting off point. 30 years from now will people consider $600 million jackpots blas ? He actually won a fight in which he got to pay LESS taxes. Wow. He was getting death threats even before the information age swung into gear. Unnecessarily stressful, fear-filled situation. Anonymity needs to be an option in every state.

Anyway, good for him. It's good to read stories about grounded Winners... [ More ]

Comment #13

mypiemaster — Sun, 28 Dec 2014 09:11:34 GMT

Sour grapes and jealousy make the mouth say the dumbest things.

Comment #12

HaveABall — Sun, 28 Dec 2014 03:43:46 GMT

Wow, close. What a horrible loss memory dredged up then

Comment #11

Coin Toss — Sun, 28 Dec 2014 02:40:54 GMT

This is the guy that said he was going to keep working.

We had just got cable TV and Super Stations in Vegas at that time and we saw WGN with this report in the break room. One of the guys on break was from Detroit and when Wittowski said he's keep working the guy from Detroit said, What else could you expect from a 'poll**k'.

Comment #10

noise-gate — Sun, 28 Dec 2014 00:27:07 GMT

Well said Mike: Family!!!

Great story.l love happy endings- don't you

Comment #9

orca1537 — Sun, 28 Dec 2014 00:23:01 GMT

i had 5 numbers and knew he won 40 million glad this was posted lots of memories i had 25 instead of the number 26 glad his life turned out like it did

Comment #8

HaveABall — Sat, 27 Dec 2014 23:46:17 GMT

Seeking help from a fellow gambling Illinoisan ...

Concerning the twice daily drawn Illinois pick 5 game (called Lucky Day Lotto). I am wondering which drawing during the past 12 months has garnered more jackpot wins -- is it the midday drawing or evening drawing, please? [Sadly, the lotterypost.com's results pages doesn't specify via a chart breakdown.]

Also, if you could direct me to where this vital information is being tracked, I would be super thrilled for that future reference infor... [ More ]

Comment #7

HaveABall — Sat, 27 Dec 2014 23:06:15 GMT

Yes, Mike's own young family of five lived very comfortably, not extravagantly these past 30 years. That's the only way he was able to retire and take on the huge responsibility of paying for rearing four additional people in a very comfortable lifestyle.

If Mike paid for his three sons to earn their own Bachelors degree, he and his wife probably only have $1.5M left to live on the interest of for the rest of their lives. It would have been smarter for him to have only split the jackpot money... [ More ]

Comment #6

MADDOG10 — Sat, 27 Dec 2014 22:21:06 GMT

For only being 28 yrs old when he won the Lottery, he was well adjusted beyond his years.

Also the fact he shared with his family shows a true upbringing from his parents. Good Story...

Comment #5

Drenick1 — Sat, 27 Dec 2014 21:17:45 GMT

Good story. His friend like most others were delusional thinking he received the ENTIRE $40 million up front with absolutely no taxes. He ended up splitting the $40 million annuity with his family 4 ways giving each a pre-tax yearly amount of $500k for 20 years.

I am sure his father , brother and sister all had enjoyed their lives as well thanks to their brother's/son generosity.

Comment #4

ThatScaryChick — Sat, 27 Dec 2014 20:44:13 GMT

He sounds well-adjusted and he obviously handled his windfall very well.

Comment #3

lottoguysocal — Sat, 27 Dec 2014 19:50:29 GMT

Talk about a feel good story. This lottery winner, while there are probably a few more out there, is the epitome of a winner who hadn't gone crazy. No outlandish spending that was reported, divided the money up with family the smart way, and really just enjoyed his fortune and good luck. Hats off to Mr. Wittkowski and his lucky days. While times are different now, the old school method of living within ones means still applies today. Future lottery winners should look at him as an example of wha... [ More ]

Comment #2

Ron5995 — Sat, 27 Dec 2014 18:32:15 GMT

While smallish jackpots, say under a million or so, tend to be of little issue to most winners, anything much larger presents huge risks, as the subject of the article experienced - even relatives and close friends can be threats.

Thankfully, lotteries have taken note and are increasingly allowing winners to remain more anonymous than was possible in the past. For example, about a year ago, Pennsylvania stopped publishing winner's full name and city. Winners are identified by first name and i... [ More ]

Comment #1

music* — Sat, 27 Dec 2014 18:16:07 GMT

Mike Wittkowski , I hope you win big again. Death threats and bomb threats the first couple of months? There are crazy people out there. I would love to go public for the sake of all the Lottery employees across the nation. But reading about the crazies makes me cautious.

Good for him that he survived and thrived on the annuity payment plan. Mike shared with his family.

First winner of big Illinois Lotto jackpot didn't let riches change him

Lottery Post — Sat, 27 Dec 2014 17:42:32 GMT

Mike Wittkowski is no longer famous, and he's just fine with that.

In 1984, he was a 28-year-old North Side bachelor dreaming of hitting it big just like everybody else in a relatively new Illinois Lotto game that was building to a $40 million jackpot.

Unlike everybody else Sept. 1, he did win, picking the numbers 2-3-10-26-30-43 and pocketing what was at the time the single-largest lottery prize in U.S. history.

Flashback reader Bob Angone, of the South Loop, said he was at a wedding t... [ More ]