Chesterfield, Mo. – A World War II veteran and his family stepped forward Monday to claim a Powerball jackpot worth more than a quarter-billion dollars.
Jim Wilson II, 84, and his wife, Shirley, 79, claimed the winning prize from Wednesday’s drawing, along with their three sons.
“I was absolutely astonished,” said Jim Wilson, a retired electrician who served in the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division in Africa and Europe, at a news conference. “I couldn’t believe it, and still don’t.”
He bought the winning ticket at a grocery store in St. Louis County. The store will get $50,000.
When the Wilsons learned they had won, they got professional financial advice before claiming the prize. Jim Wilson II has the option of receiving $254 million in 30 payments over 29 years, or accepting a lump-sum payment worth $120 million before taxes.
The couple said they will share the money with their sons. Two sons – Bill, 54, and Jim III, 59 – lost their jobs in the past year, though Bill Wilson has found a new one. Another son, Terry, 53, said he hasn’t had a vacation in 30 years and will probably go to Australia.
The couple also said they will set aside money for their grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
