Man skips office pool, loses share of $319 million prize
The man who didn’t chip in $2 to the lottery office pool is being called the “biggest loser” by some, but to me he sounds like a winner.
Mike (not pictured) will learn tears and electronics do not mix.
Why? He’s not whining about it.
Sure, it would be a soul-crushing experience to see your co-workers split up the $319 Mega Millions prize (more than $19 million each after taxes), but at least he’s not bitter or suing.
“I just wasn’t feeling lucky that day,” said Mike, who didn’t want to give his last name, in an ABC News article. Today, he worked on keeping New York state government computers running while his millionaire friends went to pick up their over-sized check. The lucky seven haven’t been showing up to work, and are expected to quit, though they’ve not told their bosses anything.
“I don’t think they’ll cut me in. I don’t think they should. I don’t deserve it,” he said.
His friends had asked twice to see if he wanted to chip in, but he declined.
Maybe he’s looking at the bright side. With his department being reduced to just one person, he’s probably next in line for a promotion.
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41 comments Add your comment
als
March 31st, 2011
9:06 pm
Bless you Mike for not being a greedy jackass, and owning up to the reality of the situation, that you had a choice. Most folks would be out looking for an attorney right now. You are a good man.
Albert
March 31st, 2011
9:18 pm
He said he didn’t feel lucky. He was so right……
i hate it when people do these pools at work
March 31st, 2011
9:33 pm
I’m so glad there isn’t an organized lottery pool at my place of employment. If they did, I would have to play EVERY time b/c I could never live with myself if they won and I chose not to participate. It would get to be a burden and a hassle but I wouldn’t be able to let myself quit participating. Someone mentioned something once about starting it up and I’m very grateful that the idea died.
I play occasionally when the jackpot gets really big (usually over 200 mil) but that’s on my own.
Anita
March 31st, 2011
9:34 pm
His co-workers should still give him a certain amount basically because if they bet on quick-pick numbers and the guy let’s say joined in the pool on that day and there were delays or whatever, those fellows wouldn’t have gotten the right quick-picks. In other words, when he declined, the time element that was needed to buy those tickets were just the right “time” for those numbers to pop up on the machine. A litlle delay or advance would have spelled another story. Someone else may have bought quick-pick tickets ahead of them and that could have changed the random.
Atl guy
March 31st, 2011
9:35 pm
His wife is going to remind him of this for the rest of his sorry life.
Ryan
March 31st, 2011
9:37 pm
Right now, Mike is drunk, standing over the bathroom sink with a razor to his wrist. His wife just walked out the front door with the kids and all their belongings, meanwhile, Leon Lett and the 5th Beetle have finally been let off the hook. Thank you Mike for bringing gratitude back into my life. But after all, money doesn’t buy happi…never mind.
Michael Isaacks
March 31st, 2011
9:37 pm
Had I been one of the winners I would have returned anyway because of my insurance and I would have given Mike a portion of my part of the winnings. Yes, he was asked twice if he wanted to join the “pool” and he declined and owns up to the fact. But obviously he had been chipping in during past drawings. Obviously, I don’t know that for sure but it sounds like he had. I personally gave up on trying to win anything from the Texas lottery years ago.
poor bastid
March 31st, 2011
9:38 pm
Anita,
By that logic, they should give some of it to the guy who held the door open at the convenience store and let them go in first.
Wow…you’re out there.
Anita
March 31st, 2011
9:38 pm
His declining on that day contributed to the “timing of getting the right random” when they bought those quick-picks. His co-workers should take that into consideration. Don’t be selfish.
Anita
March 31st, 2011
9:40 pm
poor bastid???…watta name. the guy who held the door was not in the pool. idiot.