Two friends made a promise in 1992: if one of them won the Powerball jackpot, the winnings would be divided.
Almost 30 years later, one of them did, and he kept his promise, made with a handshake.
It all happened earlier this month when Thomas Cook bought a Powerball ticket in Menomonie, Wisconsin for the June 10 drawing. He ended up winning the jackpot, according to the Wisconsin Lottery.
After learning that he earned a whopping $ 22 million, Cook called his friend Joe Feeney and told him the news. “He called me and I said, ‘Are you shaking my hair?'” Said Feeney, an avid fisherman, according to the lottery news release.
However, Cook wasn’t kidding, despite the odds: The overall odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are 1 in 292,201,338, according to the lottery.
Cook and Feeney chose the cash option, which gave them about $ 16.7 million, each taking home $ 5.7 million after tax. Neither of them has outlandish plans for their earnings except to enjoy retirement.
Feeney was already retired from the fire department. Cook gave his two-week notice to withdraw after winning and said they can now “pursue what we are comfortable with.”
“I can’t think of a better way to retire,” said Cook.
Friends hope to travel, something they have already done together. Cook, Feeney, and their wives used to take road trips together in a small convertible. Now they plan to update, the press release says.
“The power of friendship and a handshake have paid off,” Wisconsin Lottery Director Cindy Polzin said in the press release. “I am excited for them, their lucky day has arrived!
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