Tennessee couple claims they have Powerball jackpot ticket

As Oliver Jones reports, the winners overcame odds of 1 in 292 million.

“I said, ‘well, I’ll believe it when the news comes on in the morning and they say there’s a victor been in Munford, ‘ ” he said.

When asked why, John replied, “That’s what we have done all of our lives”. Her husband added, “That’s what we’ve done all our lives”.

California, Tennessee and Florida sold one jackpot winning ticket each, lottery officials said.

“We’re going to take the lump sum, because we’re not guaranteed tomorrow”, Robinson said.

The lump sum payout is about $327 million.

He said they have no plans to move from their small, one-story house, or splurge on big purchases.

The Robinsons seemed aware of at least some of the risks, even as they flew to NY – bringing along the family dog, they said – to tell the world that their future income has suddenly grown to more than half a billion dollars.

The other winning tickets were sold in Chino Hills, California, and Melbourne Beach, Florida. After the Powerball winning numbers came in, the official Powerball site updated their information and announced there were no jackpot winners.

During the leading up to Wednesday’s $1.5 billion Powerball drawing, offices across the country were packed with daydreaming employees who had joined in to the office pool.

Robinson said earlier Friday that they would help certain friends, give to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, and donate to their church.

They went public with their identity and even revealed their winning ticket on the NBC Today show. “Get advice, sign the ticket and enjoy it”.

Robinson said he bought the winning ticket at his wife’s request at the family-owned Naifeh’s grocery on his way home from work Wednesday night, then went to sleep. She stayed up to watch the Wednesday night drawing, carefully writing down the numbers.

“Now I’ll be nervous because everybody knows,”John said”.

The Robinsons did ask for privacy Friday. They did not stop to talk to reporters and were led to a back room to have their ticket looked at.

Munford’s mayor, Dwayne Cole, had wished openly Thursday for an investment in the town, whose annual budget is $3.67 million. At left is Rebecca Hargrove, president and CEO of the Tennessee Lottery.

“Who will be coming out of the woodwork?” said Mary Sue Smith. People are excited and after interviews and news stories of the three Powerball jackpot winners who matched all five white balls and the red Powerball, it appears more people want to try their hand at winning a jackpot.

Lisa works at a dermatologist’s office. The couple is in their middle 50s. Their neighborhood is a quiet, close-knit suburb of well-kept single family homes.

Tiffany said she also wants a horse. She went to school at Murray State.

John and Lisa Robinson appeared on NBC’s “Today” show claiming they’re among the winners of Wednesday’s drawing.

Without a victor, the jackpot would have increased to $2 billion, with a cash value of $1.24 billion, ahead of Saturday’s drawing, the Texas Lottery Commission posted on Twitter.

But it didn’t take long before several media outlets reported, based on anonymous sources, that the feel-good tale was a prank by the woman’s son. Lottery spokeswoman Rachel Petrie said she could not confirm the win meanwhile.

In some states, winners have up to one year to claim Powerball prize money. The Associated Press could not immediately verify their claim.

The Tennessee couple live near the store where the winning ticket was bought.

If no tickets match all of the numbers drawn, lottery officials say the next jackpot could reach $2 billion.

The couple, who said they were going to lottery officials upon leaving the show, says their attorney recommended they appear on TODAY before making it official.

John Robinson says he bought the ticket and three others Wednesday night while on the way home.

The other two winners are from Tennessee and Florida, and they both remained unidentified, which winners prefer predictably to not invite unwanted attention.