Donald Lawson, August 31, 2012. (Courtesy Greg DeRuiter, Lansing State Journal)
Donald Lawson, August 31, 2012. (Courtesy Greg DeRuiter, Lansing State Journal)
Donald Lawson, August 31, 2012. (Courtesy Greg DeRuiter, Lansing State Journal)
LANSING (WZZM) - It's something many of us dream about, but know the odds of winning are unlikely. On Friday, the Michigan man who purchased the winning $337 million Powerball ticket came forward for the first time.
At the Michigan Lottery headquarters in Lansing Donald Lawson admitted that he doesn't like the spotlight. He came forward as the latest multi-million dollar winner as part of the deal to collect his prize.
Lawson says, "When I first seen numbers, I said what is going on, is this right?"
The 44-year old Lapeer resident quit his job as a railroad engineer shortly after he confirmed that he was, in fact, the sole winner of the jackpot. He hasn't made any large purchases, but plans to travel. "Now I can. I can go anywhere in the world I want. That's what I'm going to do."
Lawson is no stranger to the lottery. He plays a lot, but the day he bought the winning ticket, he tried something different. "There was a long line, 5 to 6 people. So, something from above, I have to credit that, told me to go and pick my own numbers."
Lawson wants to send his two daughters to college and help out the rest of his family. He'll soon be given the lump sum of $158 million. He says he plans to use it wisely. His mom says, "We come from poor people, so he knows the value of a dollar."
"There is still that worry. Cause this won't last forever, unless I use it right and budget it right," says Lawson.