Man won $273 million lottery jackpot after hitting rock bottom from divorce
Published on Aug 25, 2025 at 10:55 AM (UTC+4)
by Jason Fan
Last updated on Aug 25, 2025 at 11:56 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
New Jersey man Michael Weirsky went from heartbreak to headlines when he claimed a $273 million lottery jackpot in 2019.
Weirsky, who had recently finalized a divorce and spent months unemployed, bought the lucky Mega Millions ticket at a local gas station.
In a twist of fate, he nearly lost the ticket before a stranger returned it to him, giving him the chance of a lifetime.
Overnight, his story became one of dramatic reversal: from hitting rock bottom to suddenly becoming one of the state’s biggest lottery winners.
VISIT SBX CARS – View live supercar auctions powered by Supercar Blondie
He almost missed out on the $273 million lottery jackpot
It all began with a near-miss: Michael Weirsky accidentally left his ticket behind at the QuickCheck store, almost dooming him to losing out on his fortune.
Luckily, a Good Samaritan returned it, giving him a second chance at life-changing luck.
He went on to choose the lump-sum payout, amounting to roughly $162.5 million after taxes, and wasted no time reshaping his future.
Among his first plans? You guessed it, buying his dream car.
He bought a new Ford F-150 Raptor, treating his mother to a car and a home makeover, and finally experiencing the joys that had eluded him while jobless for nearly 18 months.
The lottery winner is still entitled to alimony payments
Meanwhile, the story of his ex-wife, Eileen Murray, added a layer of irony and emotion to the headlines.
Murray was the primary breadwinner, as Weirsky reportedly didn’t have a stable job during their 15-year marriage.
This meant that after their divorce, Weirsky earned the right to receive alimony for five years.
Unfortunately for her, even as Weirsky rolled in millions, Murray found herself legally obligated to continue paying him from a much weaker financial position.
“To him, [the alimony] is pocket change is at this point,” she said.
“Think about the amount of money that he has just won. What I’m paying him is a pittance.”
Murray made it clear that she’s not after his newfound fortune, despite the timing feeling particularly unfair.
“I’m not going after anything. I have morals,” she explained in a separate interview.
Still, the situation sparked a wave of online chatter.
Many pointed out the odd double irony of Weirsky ‘winning twice’: once with the $273 million lottery, and again by still receiving alimony.
On social media, some suggested a gracious gesture like gifting her a portion of his winnings would be the right thing to do.
While it’s unknown whether Michael Weirsky ended up offering his ex-wife any money, if he followed in the footsteps of other lottery winners, he might already have a decent car collection by now.
DISCOVER SBX CARS: The global premium car auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie
Jason Fan is an experienced content creator who graduated from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore with a degree in communications. He then relocated to Australia during a millennial mid-life crisis. A fan of luxury travel and high-performance machines, he politely thanks chatbots just in case the AI apocalypse ever arrives. Jason covers a wide variety of topics, with a special focus on technology, planes and luxury.
