17 Siblings Will Split $20M NJ Lottery Jackpot

They say lottery pool was in honor of late mom
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 25, 2014 1:15 AM CDT
17 Siblings Will Split $20M NJ Lottery Jackpot
The jackpot was won by a sibling who bought a single $1 ticket.   (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

A huge Norwegian-American clan in New Jersey has a huge $20.1 million lottery jackpot to divvy up. The 17 Endreson siblings, ranging in age from 53 to 76, started a lottery pool a decade ago after the death of their mother, who dreamed of buying homes on the Jersey Shore, CNN reports. The sibling who bought the winning ticket—a $1 Pick 6 with the numbers 3, 12, 18, 34, 35, and 42—opted for a lump-sum payment of $14 million, which will be split among her 16 brothers and sisters and the three children of a brother who died a few years ago.

Asked what their late mom would say about the jackpot, the woman who purchased the winning ticket said, "She'd just be so laid-back," while another sibling shouted, "Hallelujah!," reports NBC. At least three of the siblings lost their homes during Superstorm Sandy. "I just feel so lucky, and then this is just the icing on the cake," says John Endreson, who was able to rebuild with help from his brothers. "I depleted my savings and now things are looking up pretty good thanks to the state of New Jersey and my mom." Most of the siblings live in Ocean County, where 16 vehicle maintenance workers split an $86 million lottery prize last year. (More New Jersey stories.)

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