Think they'll keep their day jobs? Seven IT workers from the state of New York will split last week's $319 million Mega Million lottery winnings.
Reports say the self-described "geek squad," which ranges in age from 29 to 63 years old will be taking one time payments of $19.1 million each - not a bad days work in the data center.
More news: The weirdest, wackiest and stupidest sci/tech stories of 2010
From local ABC7News: " They said they have not decided whether they will quit their jobs. But some say they will be spending their mega millions money on a dishwasher, tires and college educations for their children."
From the dumb moves department (actually ABC News): " Mike went to work today while seven of his co-workers went to the Lottery headquarters to pick up their checks for $19 million each. Mike and four others had opted not to pony up $2 to go in on the usual Mega Millions pool despite the $319 million jackpot. "I just wasn't feeling lucky that day," said Mike, who declined to give his last name, during a break from his IT job at the Department of Housing and Community Renewal in Albany, N.Y. He was so right. He is now considered the biggest loser. While Mike went to his office today, his seven lucky colleagues were celebrating their new mega wealth -- $19,129,571 each after taxes -- and Mike was delighted for them. "These seven were the hardest working state employees I've ever come across, go getters," he said. "I'll be sad to see them leave. They were such great people." Mike said none of the five who opted out of the Mega Millions pool are "bitter or angry."
From Reuters: "While none of them went to work this week, the seven co-workers still have not decided whether to retire. One winner said staff training underway for years as part of a state emergency preparedness exercise left him assured that "the people who are there are very capable of picking up if we choose not to return."
From the New York Daily News: "John Hilton, 57, of North Greenbush, N.Y., who was holding the winning Mega ticket, said he was so nervous when he realized they won that he sealed it in two plastic bags and hid it in the bucket of bird food he keeps in his basement. Hilton said that when he delivered the ticket to the lottery offices, he brought the feed with him."
Follow Michael Cooney on Twitter: nwwlayer8
Layer 8 Extra
Check out these other hot stories:
Robots dive deep underwater to solve airliner crash mystery
FBI wants you to solve encrypted notes from murder mystery
Get in the ring: protection US, Europe vow to hash out Internet personal privacy
Should smartphones be allowed in the courthouse?
NASA's "images" of life on Mars circa 1975
Welcome to Plato, Mo. (pop. 109) the mean population center of the United States
Men AND women might both be from Mars
FBI: How to be an expert at the black art of cryptography
US slowly, very slowly oozes rare earth assault
NASA star-gazer satellite recovers from 144-hour network glitch
Google Voice gets into Sprint Mobile phones