It’s pretty rare that Powerball winners belong to the same family, including this set of brothers who both won in the same Powerball game.
Once upon a time in Powerball land, something magical happened. Two brothers both became Powerball winners in the same game. And as amazing as that sounds in defying the odds, there’s even more to this story. James and Bob Stocklas made all the headlines back in 2016 as a Powerball-winning anomaly in more than one way.
The Brotherly Powerball Win Turned Viral Sensation
James and Bob Stocklas both found themselves holding winning Powerball tickets back on March 4th of 2016. It's uncommon for siblings to come forward as winners, especially within the same Powerball game. And the crowd, as expected, went wild. But it’s not because of the size of the jackpot or some record-breaking phenomenon between brothers. The big hype came when it was made public that James had landed the $291 million jackpot, which his brother Bob had won $7. Almost immediately, the headlines wondered what kind of sibling rivalry would ensue.
The Pennsylvania native and senior district judge, James Stocklas, bought his enormous jackpot-winning ticket on his way home from a Florida fishing trip. Together with his brother, Stocklas stopped at the Tom Thumb in Marathon, Florida, to buy a back of ice, and well, a few Powerball tickets.It wasn’t until the pair made it back to Pennsylvania, did they learn of their respective wins. In fact, they were at a local diner for breakfast when they verified their numbers. And James treated everyone in the diner, paying for their breakfasts that morning to celebrate.
$291 Million vs. $7 Winning Powerball Tickets
The Stocklas brothers couldn’t believe their luck. Even though Bob Stocklas’ ticket was only worth seven dollars, it was incredibly exciting to have a $291 million jackpot winner in the family. And while the media tried to play up any potential sibling rivalry between these brothers, it was clear there was nothing but love. James Stocklas split his prize with Bob, sharing the wealth and memorable Powerball win.
James Stocklas Shared Even More
James Stocklas didn’t just keep the Powerball winnings between brothers. He also split his take-home prize with two friends, one of which happened to be at the diner that magical morning. Having been loyal friends for more than 40 years, James felt it was necessary to share his newfound wealth with a few of his other favorite people. He even splurged and spent $20,000 to take a private jet, for all of them, to make it to Florida to collect the prize as a unified group.
The Stocklas’ Family Legacy
James Stocklas’ Powerball ticket was worth a jackpot total of $191,470,307.58. After the dust settled, James and Bob took the lump sum payout, which roughly amounted to $40 million each after taxes. Eager to create a family legacy, James was quoted as saying this Powerball win would allow him to “take care of his kids the right way.” He used some of his winnings, for example, to build a handicapped-accessible home for his son, who is disabled and legally blind. He also shared it with his daughter and her family. Part of the Stocklas family legacy also includes a series of actions to pay it forward. For example, James planned to donate to a few local charities. And despite having the financial potential to retire, James continued to work as a judge.
It’s pretty incredible that brothers won the same Powerball game. Even more exciting is how the brothers shared their wealth with those closest to them. Of course, James may have won the more significant amount between the two. But it’s clear, the family bond between the Stocklas brothers is worth far more than any Powerball jackpot.