Record High [Lottery]W. V. contractor wins largest single lottery jackpot

West Virginia Gazette.com ^ | Gavin McCormick

[Salvation]

Click here for printable version of story
E-mail this article to a friend

Record high
West Virginia contractor wins largest single lottery jackpot
Thursday December 26, 2002

By Gavin McCormick
The Associated Press

A 55-year-old West Virginia water and sewer contractor has won the $314.9 million Powerball jackpot, the largest single lottery jackpot in history.

Andrew Jackson Whittaker Jr. received a $10 million advance check from Gov. Bob Wise Thursday at a news conference. The balance of Whittaker's $314.9 million won't be presented for another two weeks.

Whittaker said he originally thought he had lost the jackpot because the numbers came up wrong on the televised drawing Christmas night. It wasn't until Thursday morning that he realized he won the jackpot.

The winning numbers were 5-14-16-29-53 and the Powerball was 7.

"The very first thing I'm going to do is go home and make out three checks to three pastors,” said Whittaker, who was dressed in all black and was wearing a black cowboy hat.

"I've been blessed my entire life,” he said.

Whittaker is the president of three construction companies. He said he has about 25 employees laid off now because of the weather.

”Every morning I wake up I feel like I've won the lottery,” Whittaker said.

He decided to take the cash option, which entitles him to a one-time payment of $170 million, or $111,681.349 after taxes.

"I've had to work for everything in my life. This is the first thing that's ever been given to me,” he said, who is originally from Jumping Branch, Summers County.

He and his wife, Jewell, plan to travel to New York City Thursday night.

After learning he had won the lottery, he went back to C&L Super Serve, the store where he spent $100 purchasing Powerball tickets on Monday. When he returned to the store he gave one of the employees a $100 tip.

The store's owner, Larry Trogdon, received a $100,000 check for selling the winning ticket.

[Salvation]

Very cool! What a different kind of winner. He knows how to handle his money!

[Dog]

Its you....:-)

[notyourregularhandle]

He wasn't 'blessed'. (In my opinion) He was lucky. If people really are being 'blessed' than I can think of 314 million more deserving people in the world than this cowboy. It kills me when people who are already well off think that they're are receiving yet another blessing...a little egocentric if you ask me. He's probably a great guy, i'm jealous, and that's that.

[kcvl]

He gave the girl, who bakes his biscuits every morning, at the gas station where he bought the ticket, the $100 BEFORE he won the lottery.

[Ff--150]

:o)
Tithing will make a believer out of your Catholic brethern in a hurry--windows of heaven opening up.

[Salvation]

I think he said they had been married for some time too. 23 years, 26 years?? I'm not remembering. And friends for four years before getting married.

I thought it was his wife who had the bout with cancer.

[Dog]

Awwwwwww want some cheese with that whine???

[Salvation]

**Is it just me...or does this just sound wrong?**

What is wrong with generosity?

God gives, and God takes away.

[notyourregularhandle]

;)

[Salvation]

Thanks, I know it works.

[kcvl]

It was his daughter who is now retiring and buying a new home and a condo in Cancun. I think she worked for him and is now retiring. lol!

[Salvation]

Thanks for the correction. 100 million is when he starts to play the lottery.

PS. Never was much of a math whiz. LOL!

Teaching English and Social Studies is my passion. Any grade. Love it all.

[Focault's Pendulum]

He gave the girl, who bakes his biscuits every morning, at the gas station where he bought the ticket, the $100 BEFORE he won the lottery.

Ah!.......nevermind

[kcvl]

lol!

[Focault's Pendulum]

Its you....:-)

Well...we all kinda knew that going in...didn't we.

[kcvl]

That's mean. lol!

[Salvation]

I wish you would rejoice in another man's fortune.

May the Lord reach down and touch your heart with understanding and compassion.

[Salvation]

I still think it was his wife who said she had worked beside him, but maybe I'm confused.

I'll go look for the AP story. He joked with the AP reporter who said he had not believed him earlier in the day when he said he had won the Lottery. AP reporter said something like "You're not excited enough."

[Viva Le Dissention]

What, he forgot to thank all those people out there that paid their stupid tax so the jackpot could reach $300 million?

I've got no time for the lottery, and it's too damn bad there are enough stupid people out there to keep it running.

[Ff--150]

p
i
n
g