Jackpot winner to boss: I'm out of here

[alleykt123]

By KATHY BARKS HOFFMAN, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 45 minutes ago

LANSING, Mich. - David Sneath has worked at a Ford Motor Co. parts warehouse for 34 years, but it didn't take him any time at all to walk out once he discovered he had won a $136 million Mega Millions jackpot.
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"I yelled to the boss, 'I'm out of here,'" Sneath said Thursday after going to state lottery headquarters in downtown Lansing to pick up his first $1 million check.

Sneath, of Livonia in suburban Detroit, said the reality of his win has yet to sink in.

"I still haven't touched base with Earth yet," he said. When he saw in a newspaper that he had a winning ticket, "my whole body went numb."

Sneath plans to buy a cottage on Mullett Lake in northern Michigan and maybe a new fishing boat or two to help him land the walleye he loves to catch. He's tired of misplacing his glasses and may get laser surgery to correct his vision. And he'll probably move out of his three-bedroom, two-bath ranch home, although he plans to stay in Michigan.

He's even considering a return to Eastern Michigan University to finish his bachelor's degree. He's eight credits shy of a major in warehousing and a minor in international marketing.

Sneath turned 60 on Tuesday, the day he won the jackpot. Friends and relatives at first thought it was an April Fool's joke.

"I called my sister; she didn't believe me. I called my daughter; she thought I was nuts," said Sneath, who said he made his first call to his ex-wife, Deborah.

Deborah, whom he called "my significant ex," attended the Thursday news conference where Sneath was presented with a large replica of a $136 million check. His daughter was there with her daughter, as was his son, who had bought the winning ticket on his father's behalf during trip to a gas station to get cigarettes.

Sneath plans to take a lump payment worth $84.3 million, or $59.6 million after taxes. On Thursday, he got the first $1 million; he'll get the remainder in a second payment. At the warehouse, he made $60,000 to $70,000 a year.

A self-described "character," Sneath generally kicked in $6 a week with four co-workers at his job in Brownstown to buy lottery tickets, spending half the money on tickets for Tuesday's draw and half for Friday's.

This time, his son bought him $15 worth of tickets, picking numbers Sneath suggested. The winning combination — 4, 17, 26, 46 and 56, plus 25 for the Mega Ball — were numbers Sneath once got as a random pick and continues to play.

But his four co-workers didn't entirely lose out. He plans to give them $1 million each out of his winnings.

Sneath said he doesn't have any big plans for the money, but noted none will go toward buying a big, new foreign car.

"I worked for Ford Motor Co.," he said. "I won't be buying a foreign product."

Sneath's $136 million jackpot may seem like a lot, but it doesn't even come close to the record. The largest Mega Millions jackpot was $390 million in March last year, given to two winners in Georgia and New Jersey.

Mega Millions is a multistate lottery game offered in Michigan, California, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Texas, Virginia and Washington state. Jackpots start at a guaranteed $12 million and grow when no one wins the jackpot.

Geez - I gotta win the lottery…

[Camaro_Corvette]

That really says something about ford products...

[Mr. Wyndham]

Sneath said he doesn't have any big plans for the money, but noted none will go toward buying a big, new foreign car.

"I worked for Ford Motor Co.," he said. "I won't be buying a foreign product."

I like this guy.

[Roflmao]

Always wanted to hit the lottery, just to take the lump sum, put it in the bank, and live off of 500,000 dollars of interest a year

[stovt001]

Ha its funny, Left Lane News had this story earlier, but they quoted him as saying "I worked for Ford Motor Co. I won't be buying a Ford product" and they went on to say how this goes to show that Ford products are apparently so bad even their own employees won't buy them. The story is gone now. Oh LLN, ever the peak of journalistic evidence.

[Kyle2k]

Originally Posted by camaro_corvette

That really says something about ford products...

Just like it says absolutely nothing about Ford products.

[TAG UR IT]

I have gone to bed so many nights thinking of all the stuff I'd do if I won the lotto.... Man, what a great feeling. Congrats to the winner. My only question.....it's a 137 million jackpot. But, he gets only 84 or so million and only gets 59 million after taxes. WTF is up with this??? Like, I'm not going to complain about winning and all....but 25 million in taxes????? That's #$$%#@ up.

[Kyle2k]

Tag, were you slightly drunk last night? lol, intoducing the issue of taxes into yet another thread seems kind of silly/pointless if you ask me.

[DGthe3]

I would like to win the cash for life lottery. up to 1000/wk for life, and I'm 22 years old. Oh, and theres no tax. I couldn't figure out how to spend 60 million. Its so much I just can't wrap my head around it. That would suck for this guy though, to get 1000 a week, when hes at his age it just won't pay off.

[TAG UR IT]

Originally Posted by Kyle2k

Tag, were you slightly drunk last night? lol, intoducing the issue of taxes into yet another thread seems kind of silly/pointless if you ask me.

Sneath plans to take a lump payment worth $84.3 million, or $59.6 million after taxes. On Thursday, he got the first $1 million; he'll get the remainder in a second payment. At the warehouse, he made $60,000 to $70,000 a year.

Umm....no. Not drunk.

And seeing as though the articles main topic (winning the lottery, percentages of winnings, etc) already introduced the issue of taxes, I don't think the fact that my discussing a part of the main topic is silly or pointless at all.

[Jak]

Actually to me, the whole tax on the lottery does not make any sence. The winning "should" be tax free, since the money that you bought the ticket with had already been taxed, right? But taking half or more of your winnings is way to excessive.

[Emher]

Why is it only that old people win the lottery? Us young dudes the money more!