Kathleen Crewe, 57, is your average single mom in just about every way. She lives in the town of Millbury, Massachusetts. She's worked as a controller for Goretti's supermarket for the past 17 years. Oh, and she just won $7 million on New Year's Day in the Massachusetts lottery.
The thing that separates Kathleen from the rest? The fact that she didn't tell anyone -- including her two college-age children -- until this past Tuesday.
Crewe hid the winning lottery ticket inside of a thermos, which was tucked inside of a fire-proof bag over the holiday weekend. She only told one person: Her sister. Crewe says that she's not one to play the lottery often, but that she decided to buy a ticket because sales were low and the odds seemed good. She also says that once she receives the cash ($4.9 million after taxes), she plans on helping her mother make repairs to her home, and that she plans on continuing working. Suuuuurrreee she will.
Some may find it a little odd that Kathleen kept such a huge, amazing, happy secret under wraps for as long as she did, but I'm totally with her. I'd do the same thing, were I, God willing, ever in her position. And, believe me, I've thought about it.
I'd tell my husband. Obviously. I'd wait to tell everyone else -- my family, my friends, coworkers. I'd want time to digest the insanity of what just happened, and I'd want to figure out what we were going to do with all that glorious, glorious cash before everybody added their two cents.
That's my plan, at least. Whether or not I'd be able to keep my yapper shut like Kathleen did is another story.
What would you do if you won $4.9 million? Would you quit your job? Buy a mansion? Travel the world? Let's have fun for a moment ...
Image via Robert S. Donovan/Flickr
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Comments 159
I would buy a nice home for ourselves and our parents...put enough away for our (future) kids college funds, and buy something really nice for our brothers and sisters. and throw one HUGE party for all our friends and families to celebrate! I think we would both keep working (maybe...) and take a super nice vacation every year. Have I run out of money yet??? lol
me and my hubby would buy us a house and pay off his moms house and my moms house.
and make sure we invested some for later.also would make sure there wasa money for our son's education
First thing you do is get a lawyer and a financial advisor. You cannot handle that much money on your own.
Change my phone number (seriously) and call a financial advisor. I'd immediately set up a trust for my daughter, then pay everything off and take a huge chunk of time off work. Would I quit? NO. $4M won't last forever. I'd rather live off the interest and have no money worries.
I am sure I would quit my job, but my ever so realistic, finance guy husband would not. We have played the "what if" game many times and if we won 4.9 million we would for sure upgrade our house and have some fun, but he would want to invest most of it for our future and the kids future. I agree it is a lot of money, but if used irresponsibly, you could blow through it pretty quickly. Wow ... what a debbie downer I am!!!!! lol.
I know that people think that they would quit working right away, but I have to say, it does not make sense to me. I know first hand how much some major medical conditions can cost to treat, especially any surgeries related to them. I would work because you need something to do each day, and for the insurance. I would also hire a financial planner, because although it is alot of money, bad decisions can make that money go fast.
We talked about this many times. We would tell noone.
Everyone will want a piece of your win and you're going to look like an ass to them for being rich and not handing it out to them.
We might say we won something. Alot less that what we really won and give a sum to various family members to help out, but the rest would be a secret.