Say you’re a freshly-minted Mega Millions winner. What’s your first automotive purchase? That nine-figure bank balance can unlock the doors of a thousand affordable classics, a few dozen supercars, or maybe just a handful of ultra-rare collectible classics. Or if you’re like New Jersey resident and recent lottery jackpot winner Michael J. Weirsky, you can use that $273 million to buy what you’ve always wanted: A $60,000 Ford F-150 Raptor.
The 54-year-old Weirsky appeared at a press conference on Thursday where he shared his relatively humble plans for the money—a lump sum of approximately $162.5 million after taxes. Asked by a reporter as to what his first move as a rich man would be, Weirsky clearly had an answer ready.
“First thing I’m doing is buying my new pickup, a Ford Raptor,” he said. “It’s something I’ve wanted for a long time, and I’m gonna get it.”
The Ford F-150 Raptor is the halo truck for the ever-popular F-Series pickup family, a mighty beast that doubles as one of the most off-road-capable vehicles you can buy from a major automaker. We called it the ultimate pickup in our recent review of the short-wheelbase SuperCab model, and chances are Weirsky will take it even further with the even-more-monstrous SuperCrew Raptor. It starts in the mid-$50,000 range; fully loaded, the SuperCrew can almost touch $80,000.
That’s enough money to make most casual truck buyers think twice. Meanwhile, Weirskey could buy himself a nice fleet—you know, for spares. He could also snag a a few copies of Hennessey’s $350,000 six-wheeled version while he’s at it. And whether or not you think playing the lottery itself is a fool’s errand, you have to hand it to someone who’s given that kind of money and still holds on to an existing and now entirely attainable dream.
Prior to the Mega Millions win, Weirsky was divorced, unemployed for fifteen years, and struggling to get by. Like many of us, he distracted himself from the dreariness of life by dreaming about one day owning something fun like a Ford Raptor. Unlike many of us, probably, he didn’t re-arrange his priorities and immediately place a call to Bugatti for a second $18 million, one-off La Voiture Noire upon getting the funds to make it happen
It’s only been a week, and Weirsky will still have to spend the rest of this life dodging the various traps that have consistently doomed other lottery winners. But for now, he can enjoy his spot in life as one of the few people for whom a Ford Raptor is a sensible, economical choice.