Tennessee Couple To Keep Jobs, Stay In Small Town After Powerball Win
MUNFORD, Tenn. (CBSNewYork) -- A Tennessee couple did not have to worry about the sinking stock values on Wall Street Friday afternoon, because they showed the world one of three winning Powerball tickets.
As CBS2's Brian Conybeare reported, John and Lisa Robinson are from a very small town. But now, they have a very large fortune.
The Robinsons were joined Friday afternoon by their attorney, their daughter, and their dog as they went public with Tennessee lottery officials.
"We're going to take the lump sum, because we're not guaranteed tomorrow," said John Robinson.
The couple, in their 50s, posted with a giant check worth $528.8 million. Because they took the lump sum, they will receive approximately $328 million, less taxes.
"We are from a small town," said John Robinson. "We're common people. We're just like y'all are."
The Robinsons live in Munford, Tennessee – which has a population of about 6,000 and just one stoplight. But John Robinson stopped at a convenience store on the way home from work on Wednesday evening and bought Powerball tickets – even though he didn't really want to.
"(My wife) told me, she says, 'You going to pick us up a couple lottery tickets?' And I told her, I said, 'I really don't really feel like picking them up,' but I told her I'd stop at the store," he said.
John Robinson works in information technology, and Lisa is employed at a dermatologist's office. They do not plan to quit their jobs or move out of Munford just yet.
Lisa Robinson described the moment she realized they had the winning ticket, while her husband napped on the couch.
"I was running down the hallway screaming and crying, and I said 'You got to check these numbers!'" she said. "He woke up in a dead sleep, and he's all startled, you know, 'What? What?'"
The couple plans to pay off their daughter's student loans and their mortgage, and donate money to their local church. They will have plenty of time to figure out what to do with the rest.