New York lottery players win $1k a week for life
Friday January 14th 2011A couple in the twenties from New York state have set themselves up for life after scratching an instant lottery ticket worth a guaranteed $1million. Donald Oldick III, 24, and his fiancée Adrienne Gray, 25, exchange New York lottery tickets each year as part of a Christmas family tradition. But Mr Oldick thought someone was playing a joke when his ticket turned out to be worth $1,000 a week for life.
He said: “Honestly I thought it was a fake ticket. I slid the ticket over to Adrienne and she immediately started screaming. That’s when I was convinced it was the real thing!”
The couple, who have two children, have chosen to split the lottery jackpot evenly and will now receive 19 annual payments of $26,000 each before tax, plus a one-off payment of $6,000, to take their total winnings to $1million. They will then each continue to receive an annual cheque for just over $17,000, for life.
Gray said it felt as if a weight had been lifted off their shoulders. The couple plan to set up a college fund and put money aside for a deposit on a house.