Posted on 12/27/2002 12:16:35 AM PST by kattracks
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Andrew Jackson Whittaker Jr. thanks God that he picked the six numbers that won him the $314.9 million Christmas Day Powerball jackpot, and he's putting up the money to prove it.
"The very first thing I'm going to do is go home and make out three checks to three pastors," Mr. Whittaker said. Those checks, a tithe to the Church of God, will total $17 million.
"Seventeen million in the state of West Virginia will really do good for the poor," he said, adding that the three pastors will control the money and perhaps establish a Christian school.
The 55-year-old contractor, who won the largest single-winner lottery jackpot in history, opted to take a lump sum of $170 million before taxes, instead of 30 annual installments. The lump sum is worth more than $111 million after taxes, lottery spokeswoman Nancy Bulla said.
"I just want to thank God for letting me pick the right numbers, or letting the machine pick the right numbers," said Mr. Whittaker, who claimed his winnings dressed in black and wearing a big, black cowboy hat.
Mr. Whittaker lives in the small town of Scott Depot, about 20 miles west of Charleston, and is president of three construction companies that build sewage-treatment plants and other water projects.
"I've had to work for everything in my life. This is the first thing that's ever been given to me," he said.
Mr. 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 yesterday morning that he realized he won.
His wife of 36 years said she plans to go to Israel.
"I'd just go to go there. It's where Jesus walked," Jewell Whittaker said.
The couple planned to travel to New York City last night.
Mr. Whittaker said he would share the rest of his winnings with his family, and may expand his business. He has a daughter named Ginger and a 15-year-old granddaughter.
Ginger McMahan said she had cancer twice and had not worked for about a year. "I was getting ready to go back to work, but I think I'm retired now," she said.
Mr. Whittaker also said he wants to help "people who want to better themselves to have a better life."
"I'm getting really excited because of the good works I can do with this money," he said.
He said little about buying luxuries for himself — aside from a helicopter he said he had had his eye on for a while.
"I have 25 people laid off right now at Christmas, and I want more work so I can put them back to work," he said. He now employs 117 persons.
He told Miss Bulla he was not a regular lottery player but he bought $100 in tickets because the jackpot was so high. He plays when it reaches $100 million.
The ticket was purchased at the C&L Super Serve in Hurricane, 25 miles west of Charleston.
Mr. Whittaker went back to the store yesterday morning to fill up on gas and buy some biscuits, as he does each day. The clerk was the one who sold him the ticket. He told her he won, but "she said, 'No, you didn't, you're not excited enough to win the lottery.' And she just pushed me out the door," he said.
"It's so just that the poorest state in America wins the biggest Powerball in history," said Bob O'Dell, a 51-year-old resident of the town that's pronounced herr' ah cun. (West Virginia's per-capita income actually was second-lowest to Mississippi's in 2000.)
The Super Serve's owner, Larry Trogdon, will get $100,000 for selling the winning ticket.
"I have a daughter getting married this summer," he told NBC.
"I guess we're honeymooning in Hawaii," said his daughter, Amy, who manages the Super Serve and is getting married next summer to a clerk at the store.
"Heck, if you're going to Hawaii, I'm coming with you," Mr. Trogdon answered, laughing.
The jackpot was the largest ever for a single winning ticket, Miss Bulla said. It also was the third-largest jackpot in U.S. history.
An unexpected Christmas Day run on Powerball tickets pushed the already whopping $280 million jackpot to $314.9 million just before numbers were drawn, making it the Powerball's largest prize ever.
The winning numbers were 5-14-16-29-53 and the Powerball was 7.
Mr. Whittaker had the option of taking a cash payout of $170 million before taxes or collecting the entire jackpot in 30 payments over 29 years. He took the lump sum and Gov. Bob Wise presented him with an initial check of $10 million.
Powerball, the nation's largest lottery game, is sold in 23 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Before the Christmas 2002 prize, the largest Powerball jackpot was $295.7 million in July 1998.
The biggest lottery jackpot in U.S. history was a Big Game prize of $363 million, won in May 2000 by ticketholders in Michigan and Illinois. The second was a $331 million Big Game jackpot split between three tickets in April.
Spain's annual Christmas lottery known as El Gordo — "the Fat One" — is billed as the world's richest. This year's $1.7 billion jackpot spreads wealth among millions of people. About 10,000 numbers win some kind of prize, from $20 to $200,000.
The reason there are over 100,000 versions of Christianity worldwide shows that words can be interpreted many ways but the acts of good men (and women) keep the world ïn good order when people act with God's love in their hearts. The LOVE OF MONEY is contrary to the LOVE OF GOD so thats where money may seem evil but its like fire and can be used for good or evil.
There it is Mr Bible Man. Why couldn't you post that. You sure went out of your way to avoid posting it. What do you suppose it means...
not purposefully done? (sigh)- whos sins are they then?
I cant honestly believe you if you say you have never sinned since your walk with Jesus has started. What constitutes as an "unpardonable" sin?
Im not sure honestly - I suspect it would require the complete abandonment and denial of Christ. I cant claim sinlessness - no one can (RC's would claim the Pope, i disagree)
What are your thoughts?
Im glad my comments have made you search the Bible. If you spend more time there, your potty mouth will vanish as the Lord grows in your heart.
I never judged this man personally - I applied the Bible as it has been interpreted to his actions. Yet lacking that sense, you have derided me and called me names - generally trying to elevate your weak theological position
Like I said before - If you cant converse without insults, our conversation is complete
Merry Christmas
Hebrews 13:5
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you
Any your total lack of sanity is showing...
thats a fact - not a judgement - YOU never answered my question -
Ep 4 says "24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness."
That being the case - would Jesus play the lottery ? Does God gamble?
I'm pretty sure I know more about the Bible than you
as does Satan - he swears just like you
I'd say so. He does after all have you out there attacking an honorable man who just happened to win the lottery. Or does he...
see the link in #85 - no "lie" in that
note your personal attack regarding my sobriety was brought to the attention of the mod - They saw fit to delete it
are you quite finished?
Oh come on. We aren't told anything in the txt about where all the money came from. Are we then to conclude: 1. NONE of it came from an immoral source or act, or 2. SOME of it did, and that part was rejected, but it isn't an important enough issue to be included in the narrative, or 3. SOME of it did but that wasn't important.
Go ahead. Argue that all those thousands of newly-converted beleivers in Acts got all the property they sold for the church by moral means.
GSG: I'd say so. He does after all have you out there attacking an honorable man who just happened to win the lottery. Or does he...
Mark 4:19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.
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