Any of us who buy weekly lottery tickets will have that secret dream of winning big one day. Of course, we’re aware that the chances of actually doing this are incredibly slim – about one in 302 million for the UK’s MegaMillions, for example – but that doesn’t stop us from vividly imagining ourselves living our lottery-made millionaire lifestyles.
Only very few people will ever know what it feels like to win the lottery, and Thomas Cook is one of them.
Thomas, like lots of people who buy lottery tickets, had made a pact with a friend back in 1992 that if either of them won the jackpot, they’d split it between the pair of them. Nearly 30 years later and Thomas’ friend must be feeling incredibly grateful for making that pact, as Thomas actually won the lottery – and kept to his word!
An old pal of Thomas’, Joe Feeney had sealed the pact with a handshake.
It’s lucky for Joe that Thomas is clearly a man of his word, as after buying the winning Powerball ticket in Menomonie, Wisconsin, he immediately rang Joe to tell him the incredible news.
Thomas hadn’t won small, either. His total winnings were 22 million.
Speaking to The Uplift about the moment that Joe received the phone call that would change his life, he recalled,
“I said, ‘Are you jerking my bobber?'”
But Thomas wasn’t jerking his bobber – he was simply being a loyal friend. He could have easily let his newfound wealth get to his head and keep all the money to himself, but he didn’t. He split it evenly with his best friend.
After taxes, the pair each received $5.7 million in cash. Joe, who had worked at an area fire department, had already retired but Thomas, who was still in work at the time, was able to hand in his two-weeks notice. He was immensely happy to be able to spend more time with his family, saying:
“I’ve got grandchildren and great grandchildren, and now I can spend time with them without worrying about if I’ve got time to go, and where we can go and afford it, and whatever.”
In the past, being long-time friends, Thomas, Joe and their wives had taken road trips together in a small PT Cruiser Convertible. Thanks to their lottery winnings, they’re now planning to upgrade their vacations to something a little fancier. We don’t blame them!
As for what else they plan to do with the money, Wisconsin Lottery reported that neither men have any extravagant plans for the winnings but are looking forward to enjoying more family time. Thomas shared that they would both be perusing what they felt comfortable with.
Everyone needs a loyal friend like Thomas in their lives. Of course, there’s absolutely no guarantee that anyone will win the lottery, but if you make a pact with a friend on splitting your hypothetical winnings, you want to guarantee that they’d actually stick to their word.
We’re red with envy for jackpot winners Thomas and Joe right now! They made history by winning the 18th Powerball jackpot in Wisconsin since the game debuted in 1992.
You can learn more about their story, and hear interviews with both men, in the video below.
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Man keeps promise made in 1992 and splits $22 million lottery winnings with friend
“A handshake’s a handshake, man.” Back in 1992, two friends swore to split the lottery winnings with each other, if they ever won. And nearly 30 years later, one of them kept that promise
Posted by The Uplift on Friday, 24 July 2020
