20-year-old Florida man had ‘feeling’ he’d win record Mega Millions jackpot
TALLAHASSEE — About 1 a.m. Thursday, 20-year-old Shane Missler wrote on Twitter: “The power of positive thinking should not be underestimated!”
By that time, he already knew he had won the lottery. $450 million, to be exact. Missler bought a quick-pick Mega Millions ticket last week at a 7-Eleven store in Port Richey, where he lives. That ticket was the sole winner of the fourth-largest Mega Millions jackpot of all time, lottery officials said.
Missler, grinning widely and clutching a yellow envelope, turned it in shortly after noon Friday at Florida Lottery headquarters in Tallahassee.
He was with his father and a lawyer, who released a statement on his behalf:
“If there is one thing I have learned thus far in my short time on this earth, it is that those who maintain a positive mindset and stay true to themselves get rewarded,” Missler said. “I look forward to the future.”
Missler — not even old enough to celebrate his winnings with a drink — opted to take the lump-sum payment of $281,874,999.
The Florida Lottery shared in a statement that Missler “wasn’t really surprised that he had won” because he had “a feeling” that he might. When he learned he had all the numbers right, he called his brother first, then told his father while they shared cups of coffee the next morning.
Lottery officials said the money will be paid to a trust, set up with Missler as the managing member. It’s called “Secret 007, LLC.”
“Although I’m young, I’ve had a crash course this week in financial management and I feel so fortunate to have this incredible wealth and team behind me,” Missler said in his statement to the Tampa Bay Times. “I intend to take care of my family, have some fun along the way and cement a path for financial success so that I can leave a legacy far into the future.”
The winning ticket was purchased on Jan. 5. Missler used money he won from a scratch-off lottery ticket, buying five quick-pick Mega Millions tickets.
The winning combination — 28, 30, 39, 59, 70 and the Mega Ball, 10 — came on the fourth set of numbers.
Missler quickly “retired” from his job at a background screening company, his lawyer, Walt Blenner, said in the statement.
The 20-year-old, whose social media is full of references to New England, the Boston Celtics and the Patriots football team, plans to move away from the Tampa Bay area.
His online presence is overwhelmingly uplifting, with inspirational quotes dotting a Twitter feed and the bio section of a sparsely updated Instagram account reading: “I wake up everyday saying ‘Thank you’ and ‘Chase your dreams.’ ”