Couple claims to be Tennessee Powerball winners

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”.

“We are honored to first congratulate the Robinson family from Munford, TN on their historic #Powerball win!” the Tennessee Lottery tweeted just before 1 p.m. PT Friday.

“We’re going to take the lump sum, because we’re not guaranteed tomorrow”, Robinson said. In fact, John Robinson pulled the $500 million ticket out of his front shirt pocket.

The lump sum payout is about $327 million.

Tiffany Robinson is one blessed woman, with her parents planning to pay offer her student loans.

“So I got to looking, and I saw it, and I looked again, they’re the same”, Lisa explained of the moment she learned she was the victor.

There is still no word on the lottery winners from Chino Hills, California and Melbourne Beach, Florida.

The announcement of the winners came after the previous 19 drawings produced no jackpot winners.

“All these years, I’ve wondered what it would be like to call my mom and tell her I won the lottery”, he said.

“(I was) a little scared because I didn’t know exactly what do to, ” John Robinson said.

After Wednesday night’s drawing, group member Angel Lawrence checked the numbers from copies she’d made of the tickets.

“It’s still unbelievable. It is still unbelievable to me”, said Linda Bullfin.

The couple also had the ticket with them.

At left is Rebecca Hargrove, president and CEO of the Tennessee Lottery.

“I was running down the hallway screaming and crying”, Lisa Robinson said.

Walker purchased the winning ticket at Sav-A-Ton, located at 199 North Country Club Road in Lake Mary.

“I think the American public wants to hear from them, and even though they want to be private after this is over, they want to let the public know that they’re the winners, ” Townsend said. “All lottery winners names are public record”, Lopez said.

The mayor says the Robinsons are “deeply rooted Munford citizens” whose parents lived in the town.

“They’re small-town people who appreciate community, appreciate family values”.

John said his next call was to his brother who does investments.

It appears that the holders of the two other winning tickets are yet to be identified.

Two winners have stepped forward, claiming they bought tickets that matched all five numbers and the Powerball number. “You need to check these numbers, ‘” Robinson said.

Both John, 58, and Lisa Robinson confirmed that they plan on continuing to work at their jobs. Friends and neighbors say the Robinsons are a hard-working, responsible family with the ability to humbly deal with their new fortune. Their neighborhood is a quiet, close-knit suburb of well-kept single family homes.

In California, any winnings not claimed within a year automatically go to the state’s schools. The Robinsons’ son, Adam, is an electrician.

The pair from Munford, Tennessee, appeared with their lawyer Joe Townsend on NBS’s “Today” programme on Friday. The bounty soared to a record US$1.586 billion, fuelled by what had become a national preoccupation with Powerball and the prospect of taking home untold riches.

Rechnitz bought 18,000 tickets for his employees and residents of the dozens of nursing homes he owns in the state. “More stress comes with that ticket”, she said. The Associated Press could not immediately verify their claim. He even brought the family dog to NY and back, walking the pet on a leash into lottery headquarters in Nashville later Friday.

They say their lawyer advised them to go on TV first as a way of controlling the story.

The three winners, who overcame odds of 1 in 292.2m to pick all the numbers, can opt to collect their winnings in 30 annual payments totaling an estimated $528.8 million, or each take their one-third share of $983.5 million in a lump-sum payment.

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