Pregnant, 36-year-old Christine Bruckner, from Long Island, and her husband, 35-year-old, Daniel Bruckner, a financial analyst, from California are having the luckiest baby ever as they just won a $208 million lottery jackpot! Talk about a college fund!
The couple was visiting her family for the holidays in Middle Island when they bought the Mega Millions ticket on Dec. 27. When they return home to San Jose, Calif., they’ll do it with an after-tax windfall of $101,440,236. National lottery
“They are happy for themselves, but I think it’s really hitting them that the baby’s future is going to be so affected,” a family friend said. Lottery checker
Daniel Bruckner and his wife celebrated their win yesterday at Long Island King Kullen, in Long Island, where he bought their winning ticket.
But don’t expect may things to change for this family, as the father-to-be said he would take pains not to “end up one of those stories where you blow it all.”
The goal, he said, is “just trying to be true to who you are, and hopefully you can stay the people who you were before.”
Daniel Bruckner had been picking up groceries for dinner at a King Kullen market when he noticed the Mega Millions jackpot. He plunked down $26 for computer-generated Quick Pick tickets and headed home.
Christine’s father told his daughter the next morning that the winning ticket had been bought at the same store.
“To humor him, I went upstairs and woke Dan up and said jokingly, ‘My dad thinks you won. Go check your numbers,’ ” she said.
Daniel checked a few losing tickets before discovering the winning stub. The ticket had the Mega numbers 23, 32, 33, 39, 43 and a Mega Ball of 8.
“The numbers just lined up,” he said. “It didn’t seem real.”
He stashed the ticket in a safe-deposit box before heading back to California for work.
With all of Long Island buzzing about the mystery winners for three weeks, the couple was able to keep their secret until yesterday’s announcement.
“It’s been very hard for me because I’m around my friends and family, and they’re all talking about it because it’s the big buzz, and I couldn’t say anything,” Christine recalled.
The couple, who was hesitant to answer personal questions, finally had Christine, who works in the mortgage business, say that they had gone through stressful financial times in recent years.
The pair said the money obligations they have — like student loans, a mortgage and other debts — will be paid out immediately.
“This will help,” Christine said with a smile.
Her husband said he will return to work in California — at least for now.
“There are a lot of people who are depending on me there,” he said. “There are a lot of projects going on. And I think it’s important to keep things normal right now.”
Friends and family streamed into the Bruckners’ modest home to congratulate them yesterday. A portion of the winnings was dedicated to party supplies — two 12-packs of Corona, one of Dos Equis and one of Heineken Light.
Congratulations to the 2 new millionaires, plus the one to come!