# Half a Million stolen from Powerball Winner (HA!) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 7, 2003, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-a-million-stolen-from-powerball-winner-ha/193549 "2003-08-07T07:33:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![buttonjockey308](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@buttonjockey308](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buttonjockey308)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2003, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-a-million-stolen-from-powerball-winner-ha/193549/1 "2003-08-07T07:33:26Z")
A while back, yours truly was verbally buggered for poking some what I believed to be well deserved fun at Jack Whittaker, the multi-multi-million dollar lottery winner from some long forgotten corner of West Virginia. Well, as it turns out, this chap isn’t quite the upstanding citizen that my detractors made him out to be. [Citing THIS STORY](http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-theft06.html) from the Chicago Sun-Times, it seems that The Cat with the Hat thought it wise to keep better than half a million dollars IN HIS CAR. Where was the patron saint of Jumping Branch WVa (I called it pig knuckle junction at first, but I digress) you ask? Church? A home for sick and wayward children? Nope. The Pink Pony Strip Club in Cross Lanes West Virginia. It’s ironic to me that the subject of so much praise and deifying is out boozin’ and whorin’ like the rest of us. Even my cynical mind is forced to admit that he does indeed give back to the community, in just enough of an amount to be an effective tax shelter. I mean his millions are his millions, and I’d probably do the same bloody thing, but in doing so, I wouldn’t hide behind the mantle of some fraudulent Christian Stewardship whilst knocking back 5 dollar beers and slipping hundreds into the g strings of local strippers (complete and utter speculation on my part, by the by). Then in the story, he says he was drugged. I’d bet the folks from what ever coal mine he’s from believe that is the ONLY way that Mr. Whittaker would EVER go to such an establishment. NONSENSE! I was right about him then, and I’m right about him now. He’s no better and no different from the rest of us “sinners” it just seems that he’s ashamed about it, now that he nearly lost half a million bucks. What a schmuck. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2003, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-a-million-stolen-from-powerball-winner-ha/193549/2 "2003-08-07T07:58:17Z")
Why leave the cash and the checks? I don’t understand that. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2003, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-a-million-stolen-from-powerball-winner-ha/193549/3 "2003-08-07T08:04:10Z")
I don’t think anyone said he was God. I also don’t really give a shit about whether he was at a strip club. It’s not illegal to do that, you know. I’m sorry that you’re jealous about how rich he is. Guess what? He’s pretty damn rich. That’s not illegal either. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2003, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-a-million-stolen-from-powerball-winner-ha/193549/4 "2003-08-07T10:42:55Z")
Sorry to ruin your schadenfreude, but as pointed out in [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=202605), he [recovered the money](http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/South/08/06/millionaire.theft.ap/index.html) because the thief thought behind the dumpster was a good hiding place to stow the stolen goods until they could be recovered. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2003, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-a-million-stolen-from-powerball-winner-ha/193549/5 "2003-08-07T10:48:50Z")
Oh phooey, I’m posting too early without caffeine again. Missed the bit in the article that mentioned that - in the previous thread, there was an article that didn’t cover that fact. Anyway, from the article you quoted: > [@](#): > > Jack Whittaker said he hopes the incident will not affect the Jack Whittaker Foundation, which he established to help charities operated by the Church of God and other causes. He also said he wanted to remind the media and the public that he is a private citizen. > “I’m simply a businessman who has seen his share of failures and successes,” Whittaker said. “My personal life is my own and I make no excuses for my actions.” and > [@](#): > > ‘‘It’s a known fact that Mr. Whittaker does carry a lot of money around with him, because he does frequent not only that club, but several other establishments … and he does gamble,’’ said Kanawha County Sheriff Dave Tucker. So at this point, I’m trying to see where you got out of the article any justification for your speculation that he’s “hiding behind” his Christian-based charity. ---
**Author:** ![Creative\_Munster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/919ad9/32.png) [@Creative\_Munster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Creative_Munster)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2003, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-a-million-stolen-from-powerball-winner-ha/193549/6 "2003-08-07T11:42:58Z")
He can be a faithful churchgoer, believe in Jesus Christ, help others in need and still have “vices”. I don’t see any inherent hypocrisy there. If he had at some point pointed fingers at those who frequent strip clubs and those who gamble, then I would say he is a hypocrite. I don’t know what the man thinks. It could be that he doesn’t necessarily want to be someone who watches strippers and gambles. People have compulsions. If sometimes they act on these compulsions, I don’t think it necessarily makes them evil people or hypocrites. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2003, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-a-million-stolen-from-powerball-winner-ha/193549/7 "2003-08-07T13:05:24Z")
… Look, let’s think logically about this. The man had half a mil in loose cash and he was at a strip club. This is a horrible human tragedy. Won’t _someone_ think of the strippers? ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2003, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-a-million-stolen-from-powerball-winner-ha/193549/8 "2003-08-07T15:03:55Z")
Okey dokie. ---
**Author:** ![catsix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@catsix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/catsix)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2003, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-a-million-stolen-from-powerball-winner-ha/193549/9 "2003-08-07T15:34:36Z")
Last night it was pointed out that yes, this is half a million dollars, but relative to what Jack Whittaker’s got, it isn’t all that much. He’s got 170 million and lost 545,000. If you had 1700 in the bank, this would be the same as having $54.50 stolen from your car. Although he is a really stupid fuck for leaving it in there, and who leaves their SUV running while they dash into the strip bar for a quick peek? ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2003, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-a-million-stolen-from-powerball-winner-ha/193549/10 "2003-08-07T16:25:17Z")
Maybe he was just getting some takeout? ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2003, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-a-million-stolen-from-powerball-winner-ha/193549/11 "2003-08-07T17:03:38Z")
It boggles my mind that _anyone_ would leave half a million in a suitcase on the frontseat of an unattended running car. Man I wish I could be that stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Trion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@Trion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trion)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2003, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-a-million-stolen-from-powerball-winner-ha/193549/12 "2003-08-07T17:15:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by World Eater \* > \*\*It boggles my mind that _anyone_ would leave half a million in a suitcase on the frontseat of an unattended running car. > > Man I wish I could be that stupid. \*\* I wish you could be that stupid too. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![FordPrefect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e99b99/32.png) [@FordPrefect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordPrefect)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2003, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-a-million-stolen-from-powerball-winner-ha/193549/13 "2003-08-07T18:00:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by catsix \* > \*\*He’s got 170 million and lost 545,000. If you had 1700 in the bank, this would be the same as having $54.50 stolen from your car? \*\* I think you mean $5.45 ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2003, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-a-million-stolen-from-powerball-winner-ha/193549/14 "2003-08-07T18:42:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by FordPrefect \* > \*\*I think you mean $5.45 \*\* \A mere bag of shells\ 😛 ---
**Author:** ![catsix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@catsix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/catsix)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2003, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-a-million-stolen-from-powerball-winner-ha/193549/15 "2003-08-07T23:11:38Z")
My bad. I quoted what Scott Paulsen said and never checked his math. You’re right, it is $5.45 ---
**Author:** ![Keith\_Berry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/22d042/32.png) [@Keith\_Berry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keith_Berry)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2003, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-a-million-stolen-from-powerball-winner-ha/193549/16 "2003-08-08T00:31:12Z")
Talk about resentment and jealousy. Who gives a fuck if the man goes to strip clubs or not? He’s not President or the Pope. Just a dude who won some big bucks, and fair fucking game to him for spending it anyway he pleases. ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2003, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-a-million-stolen-from-powerball-winner-ha/193549/17 "2003-08-08T00:53:50Z")
Just to check, **buttonjockey300** , the reason you posted thread was to remove any lingering hint of a doubt about the fact that you’re an asshole, right? Congratulations. It worked. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2003, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-a-million-stolen-from-powerball-winner-ha/193549/18 "2003-08-08T01:23:24Z")
“Remember, kids, strip joint parking lots are not as safe as they appear.” Letterman, last night. ---
**Author:** ![verbenabeast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c4cdca/32.png) [@verbenabeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/verbenabeast)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2003, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-a-million-stolen-from-powerball-winner-ha/193549/19 "2003-08-08T01:28:10Z")
> [@](#): > > Won’t _someone_ think of the strippers? that’s MY job… and I do it well. ---
**Author:** ![SnoopyFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d07c76/32.png) [@SnoopyFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnoopyFan)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2003, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-a-million-stolen-from-powerball-winner-ha/193549/20 "2003-08-08T01:32:43Z")
**Then in the story, he says he was drugged. I’d bet the folks from what ever coal mine he’s from** He’s a businessman, asshole. And news flash: he was a millionaire BEFORE he won the lottery. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-a-million-stolen-from-powerball-winner-ha/193549.md?page=2)