Although the lottery has not yet become official in Tennessee, Mark Hanson has proclaimed himself the first lucky winner. “I’ve been saving for this opportunity for 20 years! Saving every penny for the day that the God-given right to buy lottery tickets is realized in Tennessee. When the time comes, I’ll be able to buy thousands of tickets. I’ll be guaranteed to win because I’ll have more tickets than anyone else.”
Rather than await the official lottery, Mr. Hanson has already begun spending his estimated 72.4 million dollar jackpot. Armed with a very large spreadsheet and childlike enthusiasm he was able to receive an advance check from Tennessee Title Loans (the amount of the check and credit terms were unavailable).
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| Tennessee’s first lottery winner. |
Shown is Mr. Hanson’s first purchase. “This is a dream come true for my family. This one vehicle will change our lives forever. We no longer need worry about wasting money on installing indoor plumbing, this car has a hot tub for bathing…and a special area for other personal moments.”
According to other family members, this may be the only purchase made with the lottery winnings. Mr. Hanson is apparently planning to save enough money aside to be the third and seventh lottery winner in the state.