Men promise to split their lottery winnings 28 years ago, never expecting they’d win millions
People dream about the lottery every day and what they will do with the money if they win. Few, though, would think about giving half of it away. But that is exactly what one Wisconsin man did when he won $22 million in the Wisconsin Lottery.
His reason for doing so is touching the hearts of many on the Internet and has led to dreams coming true for more than just him and his family.
Making a deal in 1992
Way back in 1992, Tom Cook and Joseph Feeny made a pact. If one of them ever won the lottery, they would divide the money evenly. They sealed the deal with a handshake, but who could have blamed them for even remembering the deal they made 28 years after the handshake.
As the years passed, the men moved on with their lives, raising their kids, and watching their grandkids get older. Still, Cook continued to play the lottery. We all know how it can change someone’s life, but you have to play to win.
Winning the jackpot
Little did Cook know that when he bought a Powerball ticket with a $22 million prize that he might win. Sure enough, his ticket had the winning numbers, but would he remember the deal he had made with Feeny?
Who could blame him for going home and deciding where he wanted to spend his lottery winnings.
Letting his friend know he had won
The first thing that crossed Cook’s mind, though, was the deal he had made with his friend all those years ago. And, just as he promised, he gave Feeny a call and told him he had won the $22 million jackpot.
Most importantly, Cook told Feeny that he intended to split the money with him just as he had said.
Sharing the winnings as promised
While Feeny had already retired, Cook still worked. Of course, he called it quits after winning the lottery. Now, the men had to decide whether to take the annuity or the cash option. Both opted for the lump sum.
Even after taxes, both men took home $8.35 million, still a hefty sum to enjoy their life in retirement.
A handshake is a handshake
When asked why he stuck to his 1992 deal, Cook only had one thing to say, “A handshake is a handshake.”
The irony of the whole deal was that neither Cook nor Feeny could remember how it all started. After doing a little investigating of its own, the Wisconsin Lottery theorized that it had all probably started when the lottery first came into being in the state in 1992.
Chances are that Cook and Feeny had purchased a ticket together then and made the deal to share the winnings if they ever won. As for what the men plan on doing with their windfalls, both want to travel more and spend time with their families.
For more on Cook and Feeny’s friendship and a promise kept, watch the video below.
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