Best Friends Win Mega Million Jackpot After 25 Years

Back in 1987 Willie McPherson and Christopher Manzi began pooling their cash to buy Powerball and Mega Millions tickets together. The ironic twist is that after 25 years of attempting to win they finally got hold of a winner…but not through a ticket they had originally purchased. McPherson purchased $40 of Powerball and Mega Millions tickets at Kyu’s Coffee Shop on West 32nd Street on Sept. 18. Big money never came from any of their purchased tickets but they did receive two $1 Quick Pick tickets as part of a promotion. One Quick Pick ticket turned out to be a golden ticket–a $14 million Mega Millions jackpot winner.

Manzi, who lives in New Jersey, and McPherson, who lives in Upper Manhattan, decided to evenly split the lump sum payout of $10 million. “Willie came in and said, ‘We hit the lottery! We’re going to Miami!'” said Manzi. While down in Florida they plan on buying real estate. “I’ll buy him a house, and then he can buy one for me,” Manzi said.

Due to New York’s higher taxes McPherson will receive $3.3 million, $200,000 less than the $3.5 Manzi will receive. A funny part of the story is that McPherson let Manzi borrow $20 for his portion of the original tickets. “I’m thinking he’s got enough now to pay me back,” McPherson said.

The jackpot-winning best friends told the New York Post, “We both like playing the lottery, we both like women, and we both like lots of money.” They were not the only ones to win some money. “Kyu’s owner, Kyu Hwa, 55, who got $10,000 for selling the winning ticket, said McPherson has been buying tickets from her every week for seven years.”