A Lottery Winner's Rag To Riches Tale

23-Year-Old S.D. Rancher Vows To Help His Community

(CBS)  In Todd County, South Dakota, one of the nation's poorest places, the Wanless family struggled more than most.

"They were just so darned poor," said family friend Jim Colombe.

The sign to their ranch is broken, showing just how hard financial life's been lately.

The family was barely getting by selling scrap metal -- and they're reportedly behind nearly $4,000 in property taxes.

Just when it seemed things couldn't get worse, they got a whole lot better, reports CBS News correspondent Bianca Solarzano.

"I need some time to let this sink in …" said Neal Wanless, 23. Wanless was on his way to buy livestock feed when he decided to give luck a shot. He picked up Powerball tickets in the nearby town where he was born -- a place named Winner!

"I'd like to thank the Lord for giving me this opportunity and blessing me with this great fortune," said Wanless.

After a lump-sum payment and taxes, Wanless takes $88.5 million back to the ranch. And that's where he'll stay, he says, buy some extra land, keep working - and start helping.

"My family has been helped by the community and I intend to repay it back many times over,'' he said.

"That's just the way it is in this part of the state, people help people, we know one another,'' said Timothy Grablander, mayor of Mission, S.D., the tiny town where the Wanless ranch is.

On The Early Show Monday, Grablander described the Wanless family as a "typical ranch family" for that neck of the woods, "very down-to-earth, rural people.

Grablander said he's "sure" Wanless will keep his word and give back to the commnity.

A down on his luck cowboy who won big in a town called Winner -- is Hollywood listening?

[ibsteve2u]

I know what I would buy if I had that kind of cash and lived in South Dakota: A great big tropical green house, complete with beach sand and heated swimming pool.

Oh, and some gauges that I could see from in the pool, so that I could see how deep the snow was and how hard the wind was blowing outside.

(Off-the-grid solar- and wind-powered, mind you.)

[bpai99]

I sincerely hope that this guy doesn't wind up like the majority of lottery winners - worse off than before he won. He seems to be well-grounded, though, so hopefully that won't happen.

[ladypirate2]

marshmy: Some of us prefer the life of a rancher, even with all of it's problems with blizzards, diseases of the cattle, etc, to any life in the city! Some of us just are not cut out to live in the city just as you would probably hate living in the country! However, we wouldn't trade our life for yours for all of the money in the world! We love our wide open spaces and the quietness and the clean air that you don't have in the city!

[ladypirate2]

This guy will have girls coming from every corner of the world wanting to marry him just to get his money! He's young, good looking, single, and he's rich!

[dennisgreen5]

Why couldn't I have been born rich instead of good lookin?

[ibsteve2u]

A rags-to-riches tale usually entails someone who is poor, but works hard and then becomes wealthy. This is not a rags-to-riches tale.
Posted by incog-nito at 1:38 PM : Jun 8, 2009

lolll...so poor people don't work hard to survive?

[carolcape]

congratulations to you Cowboy and if you lived closer, I might ask you to buy me a little car, that's all, just a little car. Okay, but I am not. Enjoy your wealth and spend it wisely with your family.

[number1GI]

That outta keep him in Skol for a while

[incog-nito]

A rags-to-riches tale usually entails someone who is poor, but works hard and then becomes wealthy. This is not a rags-to-riches tale.

[ladypirate2]

I'm glad a poor guy who really needed the money won! I have a word of advice for him, though! He should learn to use one little word, NO and use it often! People are going to be coming out of the woodwork wanting money from him and wanting him to invest in their money making schemes. He's going to have to be very careful and invest it wisely or it won't last long and he'll be poor again. He needs to learn that there are many Ernie Madoffs out there not everyone can be trusted with his money.

[galsmiley]

Great for him! I hope it all works out well for him, his family and his town. I hope people leave them alone and allow them to use the money as they want, since it is theirs. All you greedy people who are going to come out of the woodwork and bother them....LEAVE THEM ALONE!

[truthislife1]

I think he'll do fine. It's the beggars that don't work but mooch off others and are too lazy to work that make many people upset. Sounds like a hard workin man strugglin' to make a living. He'll know what's right, he's been there.

[TNisgoodenoughforme]

Good for him.

[marshmy]

In response to:

?Well....yeeee-haw! Wish it were me. Wish I had a ranch to begin with at 23. Most of us city folk are lucky to have an apartment at 23. One without roomates.?
Posted by u-r-right at 4:05 PM : Jun 7, 2009

OK then, some of you ?city folk? ought to consider the life of a rancher on a small ranch, 320 acres, in a rural state like South Dakota. Plus the ranch is not his. He lives with his folks and the Associated Press refers to him as ?A young rancher struggling to eke out a living in one of the poorest corners of the nation?.

If you are up to the seven years of drought just experienced in the area or the three major blizzards in a two week period this spring which killed hundreds, if not thousands, of head of livestock and the many hours of backbreaking work involved, no 9 to 5 job hours, and the total lack of a lot of those amenities you ?city folk? take for granted.

Then, go for it, I'm sure there is land for sale. Take on the ranch life which you probably believe is like the romanticized version portrayed in movies and on TV.

But also consider this about Tripp County, SD where this young man lives:

The median income for a household in the county was $28,333, and the median income for a family was $36,219. Males had a median income of $22,588 versus $18,070 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,776. About 15.90% of families and 19.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.70% of those under age 18 and 17.60% of those age 65 or over.

Happy ranching u-r-right.

[revlin1]

I'll be they weren't on food stamps and I'll bet they weren't telling anyone that they were ENTITLED to anything? I bet they were just taking one day at a time. In fact; shock of all shocks...they were normal White poor people in a poor state where Native Americans and any other ethnic race gets priority over Euro American citizens that settled the state. We are just DARN happy for this guy and his family...Couldn't happen to a better person in America.....Do we have to apologize to THEM for anything? I doubt it.....There is a God in heaven... TO THE FAMILY" Hubby called from Iraq and says CONGRATS! He is a native South Dakotan also

[mjad2003]

Smart move to take the lump sum. The way governments are borrowing there may not be future funds. Hope you and family don't get caught in the snares of having so much money. Good luck! :-)

[ccfsdca]

wow, the guy was so poor he only had ONE rag?

[rrozsa]

I wonder if he'll tithe ten percent to his church......

[TalMD]

Please keep in touch with Dave Ramsey's financial advise. God bless.

[enough-already]

I like cowboys/ranchers, I hope everything works out well for this man. BUT, I won't be surprised at all if, sometime down the line, I read about how he either frittered it all away on some bad "investments", or like some of the other posters have said "he loses it all due to lawsuits".
Good luck, cowboy.