After Months, Man Collects on $200M Ticket

(AP)  For five months, Virginia carpenter Steve Williams lived with a secret worth millions.

Williams won a $200 million Mega Millions lottery jackpot on Oct. 16 but only came forward Friday after consulting with legal and financial advisers. Williams, from Shenandoah in northern Virginia, says he is going to invest the money.

Williams chose the cash option of $125 million, rather than receive the full amount over 26 years. After taxes, Williams gets about $88.9 million.

He let the computer select his winning numbers when he purchased the ticket at the gas station Valley's in Shenandoah. Williams is a regular at the store, and even makes the morning coffee there.

Lottery officials say his jackpot was the second-highest paid out to a Virginia resident.

[Noval53]

If he's unmarried (or married), now many women will be looking to find him, hug him, hold him, squeeze him; for all they can get $$$$. Watch out for the gold diggers Mr. Williams. They're busy in planning conferences and putting on war paint right now.

[HGOODGUY]

This is the first smart thing any lottery winner has done.

Financial planning before all the leaches, long lost relatives, charitys, and parasites come calling. And they will!!

[tmittelstaed]

It does not take 5 months to consult with legal and financial advisors. There's a lot more to the story here. I would bet that he finished his financial consultation within the first 2 weeks and then put his house on the market, and the sale just completed. If I were in his shoes I definitely would not go public with a lottery win if I was going to sell my home since it would attract a large number of buyers hoping to get a deal, or hoping to force me into selling at a low ball figure.

Right now he's probably living out of some high security hotel room and shopping for a home in a gated community.

[hateisafourletterword]

Hopefully he is smart enough to not take sleeping pills, drive an Escalade late at night and always takes his 3-iron out of his golf bag if he is married.

Good luck guy. You will need it. Witness Protection might be a better place for you if you want to keep your money.

[WitchBroom]

Heading: "After months, man collects on $200M ticket"
Article: Man lived five months with a secret worth millions.

So what's wrong with waiting 5 months to claim the prize after consulting legal and financial advisers as well as keeping quiet about it? Frankly the man is very wise and disciplined. Great for him.

[edgy44]

The US sent Al Capone to prison for running numbers games.

[thesevenveils]

Wise man.