We all dream that perhaps one day, we’ll hit the lottery. Whether through Powerball, raffles, scratch-off tickets, or Mega Millions, we think about all the different things we could do with the money.
Unfortunately, when you consider the odds of winning Mega Millions are only 1 in 302.6 million and 1 in 292.2 million for Powerball, taking home the big prize is nothing more than a dream for most people.
You have to play to win
But as they say, you’ll never win unless you play. Beyond buying or building a new house, purchasing a super cool car, and of course, helping out family members, a lot of people swear they’d also give something to close friends.
Making a promise
If you’ve ever talked about the lottery with friends, more than likely, someone pointed out that if they ever won, they’d share it. Now, that’s all nice in theory but if you hit the jackpot, would you keep your promise. Sadly, most people wouldn’t.
Twenty-eight years in the making
Well, two friends, Tom Cook and Joseph Feeney had that very conversation 28 years ago. They made a pact. If one of them were to ever win the Powerball, they’d divide the money evenly. That was a long time ago, something both could’ve easily forgotten.
Sealing the deal
At the time, these two men were serious. So much so that they even shook hands on it. Move ahead to 2020, and lo and behold, Tom Cook purchased a Powerball ticket with the winning numbers. The prize…$22 million. Would he remember his pact with Joseph?
Never forgotten friend
Tom could’ve gone home and started calculating how much of that money he wanted to spend on himself, his family, or perhaps donate. But that wasn’t the first thing that crossed his mind. No, he went back in time to 1992 when he and his friend Joseph sealed a deal.
Breaking the news
Just as he’d promised, Tom gave Joseph a call. After telling him he’d won the Powerball for a staggering $22 million, Joseph responded, “Are you jerking my bobber?” That reaction made perfect sense considering he loved to spend time fishing.
Taking life easy
Tom, who hadn’t yet retired, decided to call it quits. And who could blame him? In comparison, his friend Joseph had already retired. Now, they each had to decide if they’d take the one-time cash payout or installment payments. They both went for the lump sum.
Lump-sum or installments?
Both men decided to take the one-time cash payment. Of course, they’d have to pay taxes first. But even with that, they each netted $8.35 million. Now, they could do just about anything they wanted.
“A handshake is a handshake”
Those were Tom’s words when he talked to Joseph. Here’s the ironic thing. Neither one of them could remember how the whole pact thing started. Fortunately, Wisconsin Lottery did a little investigating. Their theory is that in 1992 when the lottery first started in the state, Tom and Joseph decided to purchase a ticket every week and if they won, they’d share the money.
A change in life
Both men want to do more traveling but they still plan to buy their weekly lottery tickets. Tom shared that while eating breakfast, he read the first three numbers. Realizing they matched his ticket, he handed it to his wife who immediately froze. Then, they saw they matched all of the numbers.
The one thing that both Tom and Joseph look forward to the most is spending extra time with their kids and grandkids. While waiting 28 years to keep a promise might sound crazy, there are plenty of other similar stories. Not only have these guys enjoyed a long friendship but now, they can do things without worrying about money.
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Source: Little Things, YouTube
