Acts of Kindness
Wisconsin man keeps 1992 promise to split million-dollar lotto winnings with friend
“A handshake is a handshake.” He kept a 28-year pact with his friend.
Cedric Jackson
08.03.20

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.

Unsplash/Waldamar Brandt
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Unsplash/Waldamar Brandt

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.

Unsplash/Raychan
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Unsplash/Raychan

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.

Unsplash/Linkedin Sales Navigator
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Unsplash/Linkedin Sales Navigator

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?

Pexels/Pixabay
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Pexels/Pixabay

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.

YouTube Screenshot/Wisconsin Lottery
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YouTube Screenshot/Wisconsin Lottery

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.

Pexels/Lum3n
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Pexels/Lum3n

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.

Unsplash/Masarath Alkhaili
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Unsplash/Masarath Alkhaili

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.

Unsplash/Viacheslav Bublyk
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Unsplash/Viacheslav Bublyk

“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.

Unsplash/Agence Olioweb
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Unsplash/Agence Olioweb

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.

YouTube Screenshot/Wisconsin Lottery
Source:
YouTube Screenshot/Wisconsin Lottery

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

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