Or $508Million halves.
From the Daily Mail:
The rules of the Connecticut Powerball state that the winner ‘shall be disclosed’ or the winning ticket could be ruled invalid.
The final decision rests with the president of the Connecticut Lottery Company, which runs the draw, and he could throw out their claim.
Should that happen it would mean that the entire scheme backfired spectacularly - and leave the charities which have been promised cash out of pocket.
The three men allegedly set up a trust ‘as a front’ so that Tim Davidson, Brandon Lacoff and Greg Skidmore could be the public face of the win.
In a further twist, it was also claimed that rather than donate a large proportion of the money to charity, the winner has requested that the majority just be invested for his personal gain.
The explosive claims blow apart the fairytale story that Mr Davidson bought the ticket at a gas station in Greenwich Connecticut for $1.
It would also explain the bankers' sheepish performance at a press conference to collect their ‘jackpot’, during which they refused to discuss their relationship with each other.
It had been suggested that Mr Davidson bought his ticket on November 1 and the following day they realised their numbers had come up, beating odds of 195,249,054 to one.
Big win: The trio poses with Anne M. Noble, CT Lottery President and CEO (left) and Frank Farricker after claiming their prize in Rocky Hill, Connecticut
The jackpot was the largest ever won in Connecticut and the 12th biggest in Powerball history.
It means they will take the after-tax lump sum of nearly $104 million in cash between them.
The Connecticut Lottery Company has failed to return repeated phone calls by MailOnline but its own rules suggest that the plot could leave the bankers - and their client - out of pocket.
The rules state: 'Subject to Connecticut laws and regulations relating to the public disclosure of 'Connecticut MEGA MILLIONS' winners, the name and city/town of the JACKPOT winner shall be disclosed in a press release or press conference and the winner may be requested to participate in a press conference.'
The rules also contain the general warning: 'By submitting an official winning 'Connecticut MEGAMILLIONS' ticket for validation, the Claimant agrees to abide by all applicable laws, rules, regulations, instructions, conditions and final decisions of the President.'
Now, according to a family friend who has known Mr Lacoff since he was a boy, the truth behind what happened is very different....MORE
