Merle Butler, Illinois Mega Millions Winner, Claims Jackpot Share

(Updates with quotes, details)

By Bruce Olson

RED BUD, Ill., April 18 (Reuters) - A retired couple from a small town in southern Illinois claimed a share of a record $656 million Mega Millions lottery jackpot on Wednesday, saying they planned to invest the money, help their children and grandchildren and possibly buy a new car.

Merle Butler, a former insurance agent, and Patricia Butler, who worked at several companies, retiring nearly five years ago from investment firm Edwards Jones, are the only winners of the March 30 jackpot to publicly identify themselves.

They have been married for 41 years.

Illinois requires a winner's identity to be revealed. The holders of two other winning tickets in Kansas and Maryland have chosen to remain anonymous.

The prize claimed by the Butlers amounts to $158.9 million in a lump sum before taxes, or about $218.6 million parceled out in 26 yearly installments. It is the largest in Illinois Lottery history.

"I was retired but now it looks like I have a new full-time job," said Merle Butler, referring to the task of managing the money. The couple waited three weeks to come forward after the drawing in order to consult financial and legal advisors about managing the winnings, he added.

At a news conference in Red Bud, located about 36 miles (58 km) south of St. Louis, Merle Butler said he usually only plays the lottery when the jackpot hits about $150 million and that he chose the winning numbers off a Christmas card from a fellow Vietnam War veteran.

"It really hasn't sunk in yet," Patricia Butler said in a statement. "Winning this amount of money is a major responsibility, one we take seriously and will figure out step-by-step as we go along." (Reporting By Bruce Olson; Editing by Mary Wisniewski, Greg McCune and Paul Simao)

Check out some crazy lottery stories:

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Comments

[jayes]

05:23 AM on 04/20/2012

"The prize claimed by the Butlers amounts to $158.9 million in a lump sum before taxes, or about $218.6 million parceled out in 26 yearly installments. It is the largest in Illinois Lottery history."

Money people might want to check with the Tech people (someone who knows math). The only number that matters is the first one, due to an economic phenomenon called The Time Value of Money.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_value_of_money

[robertstone1robert]

09:51 AM on 04/19/2012

After Mirlande Wilson, a McDonalds employee, falsely claimed that she won the Mega jackpot and that the ticket was somewhere in the store you just knew it was a tactic designed to get people in, to look for it.
You know where there is a will, or a jackpot winner, there are relatives. No, I'm sorry to say, we're not related.

[casaroonc]

05:19 AM on 04/19/2012

That may be the most measured response to winning a boatload of money I have heard.

[jelqist]

05:13 AM on 04/19/2012

TyrONE EL is the Biggest lottery winner in the continental US
This Graffiti artist is from New Jersey.

[Bentch]

03:57 AM on 04/19/2012

Congratulations to the Butlers. It sounds like they are heading in the right direction from start. I would imagine this will become a might say full time pleasant job for both of them. I would guess the will do some worth while deeds with the money too.

[maybesomeday]

01:45 AM on 04/19/2012

I don't gamble with my money but my step-father use to play pick 3, 4, 5 and a couple of card games. He made just enough to continue playing.

Another time when this game got big I asked him if he played this game and he actually said no, I don't need that kind of money. Imagine that someone who didn't want to hit it big, but to win just enough to continue playing the games......and he has his Atlantic City money set aside purposely for his trips to the casinos...

[meta711dragon]

01:20 AM on 04/19/2012

all the lottery winners in the past and the future get ripped off.... lotteries advertise there total jackpot, what most people don't know is that if 600 million is offered, they collected double that. than they only give the winners a part of the money, especially if they take a lum sum.. also if they take it on payments the lottery keeps all the money and collects interest on your money and you never get one cent. the lottery and the respective states make the Mafia look like disneyland... they are the biggest crooks and its legal... explain that crap...

[ie]

02:25 AM on 04/19/2012

huh?

[TronicsTrade]

04:49 AM on 04/19/2012

They run the lottery to make money, that's not a secret.

[Wudublevit]

01:11 AM on 04/19/2012

Happy for them but that part about possibly buying a new car, you retired 5 years I know you need a new car

[korriganstarrz]

05:27 AM on 04/19/2012

I was thinking the same thing.

[Wanda Glass]

10:31 AM on 04/19/2012

yep. They're probably so used to living on a tight budget that it hasn't sunk in HOW much money the actually now have.

[tfloveslife]

11:50 PM on 04/18/2012

Only in America--can anyone beating all the odds--become part of the 1% in an instant--and then hated on HP.

[4evryoung]

07:34 AM on 04/19/2012

Yea but their tax rate is higher than the "1%". No reason to hate them they will pay their fair share.

[notrichyet]

11:31 PM on 04/18/2012

Sounds like alot of people on here need to READ the article!
Congratulations to the winners. Good idea to watch the spending, but remember to enjoy it and help those in need also.
In the mean time we will have fun waiting for the next winner(s)!! I'm sure it will be one of us. Yeah!!!!!!

[Harry D Burdette]

11:30 PM on 04/18/2012

To bad the McDonalds lady, Mirlande Wilson, didn't get her "fair-share of the jackpot". She did get her 10 minutes of fame. Obama called her and told her she was cheated out of the money, and she needed to be sure to vote for him in '12, and he would see she gets what she has coming to her.
I'm Lovin' It!

[doodlebug42]

02:55 AM on 04/19/2012

You really shouldn't type drunk, it makes you say stupid things!

[ginger42]

03:29 AM on 04/19/2012

stupid comment

[Edward Rexroth]

11:18 PM on 04/18/2012

IF I HAD WON 218 MILLION ... I WOULDN'T CARE WHAT ANYONE THOUGHT ...I WOULD JUST ENJOY THE REST OF MY LIFE...AND IF I HAD ANY LONG LOST FRIENDS OR RELATIVES CALLING ME UP......I'D JUST SAY ......SAY WHAT DO U WANT...WHO IS THIS....DO I KNOW U....WHERE WERE U WHEN I ASK U FOR A LITTLE HELP....OOOOOOOOOOOHHHH EXCUTES ME

[Shirley Keyes]

10:50 PM on 04/18/2012

I am getting tired of Bethany Frankell - it seems vry obvious that she does not want to be married. Jason tried to please her and she tells him she is trying to make things better. She is miserable and I think it is because she wants to be on her own with her daughter. Jason would be smart to talk half of everything and let her go on her own. She will never ever find a man that she will be happy with because she is such a micro manager when it comes to anything with Jason and their marriage. He is never going to be able to please her, because she won't let him. I feel sorry for his parents who have wanted to welcome her into their family, but she doesn't want any part of them. In the beginning she acted llike she wanted to be with them but that was just a front,

[maybesomeday]

01:35 AM on 04/19/2012

What does that have to do with this article about the lottery winners?

[ie]

02:28 AM on 04/19/2012

WTH is Bethany Frankell? Is this some sort of soap opera?

[Lisa J Morgan]

10:48 PM on 04/18/2012

Awesome for a retired couple, but, YES a lot of work especially since they can't remain anonymous. It will be a trying time for them, but hopefully they will be strong enough to just say NO! One must be very careful when handling that amount of money. Congratulations! One day I will also win for my grandbabies! lol

[embbell]

10:21 PM on 04/18/2012

I am pleased for this couple, but I don't like the rule that you have to publicly name the person that wins. I think it will change their lives in more than one way. I am sure it didn't take long after it was announced that they won before they started getting calls from people asking for money.