Mega Millions winner won’t share with McD’s co-workers

McDonald’s workers in Baltimore are serving Unhappy Meals today after a co-worker, who claims to have won a third of the world record $656 Mega Millions lottery jackpot, says she won’t be sharing.

Stephen Martino, director of the Maryland Lottery, speaks to reporters outside a Baltimore 7-11 store where Wilson purchased tickets. (AP Photo)

Stephen Martino, director of the Maryland Lottery, speaks to reporters outside a Baltimore 7-11 store where Wilson purchased tickets. (AP Photo)

The New York Post reports that Mirlande Wilson, 37, says she has a winning ticket, but that she bought it with her own money, not that of her co-workers, who had pooled their resources in an attempt to win the big Friday prize.

“We had a group plan, but I went and played by myself. [The ‘winning’ ticket] wasn’t on the group plan,” Wilson told the Post.

Winning tickets were sold in Maryland, Illinois and Kansas.

According to the article, Wilson ran the McDonald’s office pool that fateful day, getting $5 from 15 co-workers. She purchased the pool tickets and left them at the restaurant in a safe place, according to the article.

Just before closing shop Friday evening, however, the owner of the fast food restaurant says he gave Wilson another $5. Wilson bought more tickets after leaving work and took them home, but she claims the winning ticket was not purchased with the final $5 contribution.

After Wilson called in to work Saturday to say she’d no longer be peddling fried taters, a couple of co-workers went to her home and beat on the door until she answered.

“These people are going to kill you. It’s not worth your life!” said one after she opened the door.

As of Monday afternoon, no one had claimed the prize, worth an estimated $105 million after taxes.

Wilson may be fibbing. When pressed to produce the winning ticket she told the newspaper “I don’t know if I won. Some of the numbers were familiar. I recognized some of [them].”

The McDonald’s owner declined to comment except to say, “It’s all [BS], if you ask me. It’s speculation.”

* Read the New York Post article.

113 comments Add your comment

Jack

April 2nd, 2012
5:51 pm

Sounds awful Filet-o-Fishy to me

Phil McKann

April 2nd, 2012
5:54 pm

Uh-oh, it looks as if some lawyers just won the lotto, too.

EMS

April 2nd, 2012
5:58 pm

CoColatte is a very wise person. 100% right. The right thing to do is to share it with her co-workers. You work at Mcdonalds ( a difficult job ) and feel that your co worker has cheated you of money you feel you are entitiled to sounds like this will end very badly in the end like so many other horror lottery winning stories. I hope she follows CoColatte’s sacred advice of wisdom.

Kalinda

April 2nd, 2012
6:13 pm

It would be very stupid of her not to share–because once it goes to court, legal fees are going to lessen what would have been originally won. As a penalty for her greed, it should be taken from her pocket, not the other individuals who trusted her. Money is definitely the root to all evil.

Nia

April 2nd, 2012
8:03 pm

A classic example of how money changes people…

Ncrdbl1

April 2nd, 2012
8:15 pm

Typical of people if she bought it herself and not as part of the group then NO ONE has a right to ask her to share. If the ticket is part of the the pool then yes. But if it is not then i will tell everyone to kiss my ass.

Adam

April 2nd, 2012
8:36 pm

Simple, they can check the machine at the store and see if she bought $5 in tickets or more. If she just spent $5 she could lose in court

julianne smith

April 2nd, 2012
9:34 pm

Greed can make nice people do bad things.I hope she reconsiders her options and share the cash with those fellow workers whom I am sure can use a little extra cash.

Duude

April 2nd, 2012
9:59 pm

This will be litigated, and why not? No way to know if she’s lying or not. No proof

TammyLynn

April 2nd, 2012
11:58 pm

It never fells when playing pools. One person gets greedy instead of being grateful and want to keep all the money for themselves. Now they are in court for years fighting over the money that they initally all agreed to split when they dreamed about winning the lottery!