Tennessee Couple Say They Won Powerball, Wife Takes Day Off Work
A Munford, Tennessee, couple said Friday that they're one of three winners of Wednesday's massive and historic $1.6 billion Powerball jackpot drawing.
John and Lisa Robinson, the couple whose winning ticket has not yet been confirmed by Tennessee lottery officials, told NBC's "Today Show" that they purchased four tickets at Naifeh's Food Mart just a block from their home at 6:56 p.m. on Wednesday.
John said he bought four tickets as always to represent the four members of his family including his two children. It was the computer, however, that chose the winning numbers of 04, 08, 19, 27, 34 and Powerball 10.
Appearing with his lawyer on the morning show, John said he was "scared" when he realized that he had the winning numbers.
"Actually, (I was) a little scared because I didn't knowexactly what do to," he said. "I knew that I wanted to get an accountant. I knew that I wanted to get a lawyer and try to follow the procedures that they tell you to follow."
Once confirmed the couple is expected to get approximately $533 million if they choose the lump-sum payment, which works out to about $327.8 million after taxes.
Lisa, whose Facebook page says she works at Memphis Dermatology Clinic and attended Munford High School, says she will continue working at the job that she loves for a while but said she called in to work Friday morning to let them know she wasn't coming in. She did not, however, reveal the reason why.
With his appearance on the "Today Show," John, who is listed as an engineer at Logical Systems, expressed a bit of trepidation that everyone will now know of his fortune, thanks to the media.
"Now I'll be nervous because everybody knows,'' he said.
