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Man who lost retirement money to Enron wins $182.7M jackpot
It's the feel-good story of the day. (Oregonian)
March 20, 2007 | Permalink
Comments
They should just stick an age requirement on how old you must be to purchase a lotto ticket because if you are under the age of 55 the chances of you winning diminish greatly.
I wonder what the Vegas odds are that they will get scammed a second time?
Posted by: | Mar 20, 2007 8:15:44 AM
Anon: Are you going to try to bring us down all day today?
Let us know up front so we can avoid reading comments.
Posted by: ssw | Mar 20, 2007 8:27:15 AM
No, I will type under some false names like everyone else so you will all be confussed. Is that better?
Posted by: ssw | Mar 20, 2007 8:36:05 AM
If he lost all his money how was he able to afford lotto tickets?
Posted by: SwarthyTroll | Mar 20, 2007 8:53:59 AM
Hmmm, must be "Let's start of with biting posts" day here at the OS&RR. I'll bet some water plant worker whizzed in the water supply.
Posted by: | Mar 20, 2007 9:00:18 AM
*off*
Posted by: | Mar 20, 2007 9:00:50 AM
SwarthyTroll: he stole change from a hobo to buy lottery tickets.
Posted by: beanspants1 | Mar 20, 2007 9:13:51 AM
Finally, Karma has worked for this guy!!!! Hooray!!!
Posted by: JimmyVa | Mar 20, 2007 9:19:58 AM
This is a perfectly happy salt of the earth guy who goes fishing with his neighbors and has worked for the same company for 35 years. He doesnt need $59 million. No one does. This windfall will change his life and it wont be for the better.
Posted by: | Mar 20, 2007 9:20:44 AM
Is Ken Lay dead or alive? I seem to vaguely remember that that vulture died a year or so ago...
Posted by: vksjk | Mar 20, 2007 9:33:06 AM
Dead. What a shame... I wanted to see him swinging from the gallows.
Posted by: | Mar 20, 2007 10:10:40 AM
Is he really dead? Did anyone check his coffin?
My money is on Dick Cheney spiriting him away to an undisclosed location, probably some tropical hideaway.
Posted by: ssw | Mar 20, 2007 10:15:37 AM
There are better "feel-good" stories today. The barmaid guardians for one. Finding the missing 12-year-old boy scout is another. And the guy on the ice floe story even trumps this one. Okay... I'm done being pedantic. Please go on about your business.
Posted by: Tas | Mar 20, 2007 10:53:12 AM
Please focus on the lottery and leave me alone
Posted by: Ken Lay | Mar 20, 2007 11:13:37 AM
'No, I will type under some false names like everyone else so you will all be confussed. Is that better?'
At least we use names (this is my real name by the way...)
And I say I'm glad the guy won! He worked for 35 years and got royally screwed! he deserves a break!
Posted by: Rusty | Mar 20, 2007 11:15:11 AM
Testing, Testing... 1,2,3...
Posted by: Rusty | Mar 20, 2007 11:28:52 AM
I think it his winning is fantastic. Our school system is set up to produce worker/comsumers who are told that if you work hard, you can achieve the 'american dream'. Predicated, of course, on the idea that the company you devoted all of that time to will maintain their responsibilities.
Enron taketh and kismet giveth.
It would be truly wonderful if he shared it with all of his Enron coworkers, also victims of the grandest larceny of all. Even a little. Too bad he probably wouldn't get a 'tax break' for it either.
Posted by: invah | Mar 20, 2007 11:33:39 AM
*consumers
Blast!
Posted by: invah | Mar 20, 2007 11:39:59 AM
So how did the Enron employee have his 401k 'taken'? Doesn't a third party manage those? Unless this guy was a retard and invested all his money into company stock...my company specifically tells us NOT to do that!
Anyway, good for him, I hope he blows it all on hookers and booze!
Posted by: Sean, Torrington CT | Mar 20, 2007 11:40:39 AM
More power to the guy-the fact that he totally got screwed by Enron just makes the fact that he won all the better.
Posted by: pnwgal | Mar 20, 2007 11:43:06 AM
Not all companies give you control of where your retirement funds are invested. Investing it right back into the company gives the thieves even more money to loot.
Posted by: invah | Mar 20, 2007 11:52:50 AM
Sean,
Enron workers found themselves over-exposed to Enron stock because the company matched employee contributions to pension plans with Enron stock.
I had the same deal when I worked for an investment bank. You don't have the option of reallocating the funds.
Many employees also (foolishly) invested additional money in company stock, compounding the issue.
So, while the money wasn't "taken", Enron's corporate policies set up a situation that wrecked a number of employees retirement portfolios when it crashed. The situation wasn't fully in the employees' hands.
Posted by: john a | Mar 20, 2007 12:02:17 PM
Testing, Testing... 1,2,3...
Someone is posting under my name...
Posted by: Rusty | Mar 20, 2007 12:07:22 PM
I'm sorry, some 3rd grader is posting under my name...
Posted by: Rusty | Mar 20, 2007 12:08:56 PM
Typicaly rank and file employees often have little say in how their retirements are set up and/or invested.
Posted by: vksjk | Mar 20, 2007 12:09:25 PM
