Are you the type of person who keeps their word? Are you good at keeping promises? I know a lot of people who would say “no” to both of these questions when asked. I’d say it’s pretty rare these days to come across someone who falls under these categories.
Tom Cook of Elk Mound, Wisconsin, however, really knows how to keep a promise. 28 years ago, back in 1992, Tom made a deal with his good pal Joe Feeney that if either of the two won the Powerball, they’d split the winnings. And, well, Tom recently won $22 million on the lottery and remembered that time nearly three decades ago when they shook on it.
Instead of keeping his jackpot winnings away from his old friend, Tom phoned Joe, who lives in Menomonie, to offer him his fair share of the prize.
“He called me and I said, ‘are you jerking my bobber?’’ Joe said when he looked back at the moment he got that big phone call from Tom.
Tom informed his friend that he was going to give him half of the money. After taxes, they’d each be left with approximately $6 million.
While I’m sure Joe was probably hesitant to accept the money at first, it was part of their handshake back in the day after all. I’m positive Joe would have done the same thing if he was the one who had been the big winner instead!
Of course, both Tom and Joe were delighted to hear about the news about the Powerball winnings. While neither of the two men are looking to blow their big bucks anytime soon, Tom did say he put in his two weeks’ of notice in at work, saying that he “can’t think of a better way to retire.”
Also, Joe, Tom, and both of their wives recently went on a road trip together with the winnings. They hope that someday soon, they can switch their PT Cruiser convertible for another vehicle of their choice. With a lot of money on their hands, they’ll certainly have a lot of options to pick from that will make their road trips even better.
But perhaps one of the best things both of the men and their wives are looking forward to is getting to spend more time with their family and friends. There’s nothing like keeping our loved ones close! There really isn’t.
Below, I’ve included an interview with Joe and Tom. Feel free to meet the two lucky fellas by giving the video a watch!
