When he was a child Oregon man, Eric Hale, made a promise to his brother, Quinn. He told Quinn he'd share the prize with him if he ever won the lottery. There's been a lot of water under the bridge since then, but when Eric successfully matched the five main numbers in the US Powerball drawing on Wednesday, September 24, 2014, and bagged a $1 million second tier prize, the Bend resident did not forget his promise.
"When I was a kid, I promised my brother that if I ever won the lottery, I would split it with him," Eric said. He was my first call when I realized I won."
Both brothers wore matching smiles on Thursday when they were pictured holding a large, oversized check, but Quinn admitted he was shocked Eric had kept his word.
"I didn’t believe him," Quinn said. "I still am in shock, even though we have the checks. This is beyond cool. I never believed he would actually do it."
"Sure, I could have headed for Costa Rica, but I kept my promise," Eric joked.
Each brother took home around $335,000, after taxes.
When asked why he'd delayed claiming the prize, Eric said he waited a while so that he could speak with a financial advisor, and plans to invest some of the money. He also said he intends to continue graduate school.
Quinn plans to pay off some bills and put a down payment on a motorhome.
