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.
Amen -
In answer to your question here, the man who won the lottery clearly stated he doesn't bother to play unless the jackpot is over 100 million because that much would enable him to do things to help others. What a fine man and example to the rest of us who is putting his actions to work and not mouthing off.
public display, il gotten gains
You never answered the other FREEPERS who asked what you do for work and whether or not the product or service was ever misused ?
My work is unimportant - however, I own my own machining business and produce medical components for the Pharm industry - real nefarious stuff like screws and pins (sarcasm)
Material things are just that, THINGS and living in a material world condeming all that does not meet your approval is similar to the camel passing thru the eye of the needle. Try to see God's prescence in your fellow man and work along with that instead of slinging arrows at those you dont agree with. Unless somebody can create universes and other life forms I don't think they could really speak for God.
Im to assume then you dont consider the accumulation of material goods and posessions "sinful" - Im less than surprised
Not to offend but if you take a Jew (Jesus) and make him God and then tell the other Jews they aren't going to heaven unless they abort their own religious views (like the Jewish religion), makes one wonder what difference is there in your beliefs and those of the Hare Krishnas who believe you must come thru Krishna first......and then all the other religions ? ...it goes on and on....and if you really do respect Jesus then his teachings were that the I AM within is GOD and GOD is within everyone....Those who try to sell us Jesus say he is the ONLY way.....you do the math !
thats pleasant and typical of an undisciplined society - but in doing so the trinity is destryed - Christ is denied and the you damn yourself irrevocably unless you repent and accept Christ as the only divine son of God
God would prefer you dont even play it -
Romans 12 Living Sacrifices
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.
2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.
3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.
You still dont get it do you - we are absolutely worthless without a complete acceptance of Christ into our lives - ...potty mouths tend to miss that
This is my final post to you - Merry Christmas
YOU have a chip on your shoulder. YOU made ridiculous statements here and got called on them......and now backpedal by insulting me????
Tell me what church you attend so that I may specifically avoid it.
Such as his food, clothing and shelter when he was a toddler. Or more importantly if he IS a Christian... salvation!
And the smokers and the drinkers and not the gambling per se but the GREED (which is idolatry). There is no "thou shalt not gamble" in the bible.
Jesus is being classically terse. You can't build a whole theology on a single passage of the Bible. "Rich" refers to the relationship you have with your money. Is it your ultimate treasure that you can't bear to part with even for God's sake? Or is it your tool to do good? Is it your master or is it your servant? A man can be rich with $10, or "unrich" with a billion dollars.
How does the man get 5 talents to work? Talents would not dig a ditch or grind corn. I therefore assume that the man INVESTED in something, such as buying and re-selling merchandise. In much the same way the stock market is a buying and selling of shares of a corporation.
However, when one buys anything for the purpose of re-selling, there is an inherent gamble in the transaction; the buyer is hoping that there will be demand for his item and therefore will make a profit.
I do not believe the passage in Ecclesiastes prohibits saving or investing money; I was simply pointing out to you that your broad interpretation of its meaning could also be applied in other ways. You yourself have shown that.
However, please explain to me at what point playing the stock market becomes gambling, and is therefore prohibited according to your view of scripture.
One other thing; you asked how much money Mr. Whitaker had before his winning the Powerball. He said on Fox that he was a millionaire (due to his business) and also he has always tithed his income.
Since Mr. Whitaker has the money and you do not, it is really his business and between himself and God whether or not he is doing the right thing. Myself, I think it better that a Christian man take these winnings and distribute them to help people. Others (like you) apparently would prefer that only non-Christians gamble and spend the money.
I simply disagree with your view of this, and I find that there are an awful lot of stone-casters on this thread. There is also an admonition in the Bible about that, you know.
A totally unjustified accusation, as far as I can see from the news coverage. God knows the heart, and he may or may not be guilty of that, but your accusation has no evidence known to us. If it were ipso facto "love of money" to seek more money, then it would be a sin for someone to go to college so that he has a chance to get a higher paying job. After all doesn't he have enough already? Note that the soldiers were bidden "be content with your pay" in the context that they should not cheat or extort to get more.
What did he say that was "potty"? I know what potty mouth is, and it isn't mere sarcasm. The bible has sarcasm.
Begging the question. Doesn't look thus far like Whittaker is "hoarding" anything.
when it becomes obsessive, when a little isnt enough, when you stop trusting the Lord to provide. Aside, I will not play the market - I consider it worldly (including 401k)
One other thing; you asked how much money Mr. Whitaker had before his winning the Powerball. He said on Fox that he was a millionaire (due to his business) and also he has always tithed his income.
broadcast it to the world eh ? "look at me, look at me" -
my considering his gambling a sin is certainly an affront to many here - however I backed it up with Scripture - I didnt see many backing thier position for the lottery with same. In fact ive demonstrated where the hearts of several lay - be it in a foul mouth or il temper
2. The donations to charities were announced in reponse to a question, also.
3. Mr. Whitaker was required by the Lottery to make a public appearance in order to receive the money.
4. You do not use a 401K because it is worldly? How are you planning for your retirement? Why is using a 401K less worldly than typing on a computer?
Neither you nor I are in a position to judge his spirit in this manner.
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