'Lucky 16' Co-Workers to Split $58M NY Lottery Jackpot
Since 2010, they'd been pooling money together to buy lottery tickets.
— -- In New York, the newly minted "Lucky 16 Trust" is finally enjoying the fruits of its labor.
Since 2010, 16 workers in the Manhattan office of biopharmaceutical company Ophthotech had gotten together week after week to throw $4 each into an office lottery pool. One person would be selected to buy multistate lottery tickets. The tickets were reportedly bought from a different store each week.
Then on March 24, their dedication paid off when their ticket was a perfect match for the $58 million New York Mega Millions jackpot.
The winning numbers: 2 23 32 45 55 and the Gold Mega Ball 12.
Evelyn Harrison, Ophthotec's chief operating officer, said the group could hardly believe their luck.
"There was a lot of buzz around the office. ... We went from one person's computer to another's checking each person's scan of the ticket because we wanted to be absolutely sure," Harrison told ABC station WABC-TV in New York. "Once we were convinced, we sent an email to everyone else to tell them to check out the winning numbers for themselves."
Their winning ticket was purchased in the same building where the group works, just feet away from Penn Station. The group said it would take the one-time lump sum in cash and split it evenly, giving each of the Lucky 16 about $1.65 million after taxes. They said future plans included everything from paying off mortgages to investing.
"It's been a very intense ride," fellow Lucky 16 winner Matthew Jung said.
