$45 million jackpot!

Ebony, Sept, 1995 by Muriel L. Whetstone

Arthur and Julia Britton are like a million other hardworking Americans. They go to church on Sunday and work the remainder of the week. They're devoted to their only child and a host of relatives that include grandparents, parents and siblings. And like so many others, they've lived and learned their way through life's many challenges. But that's where the similarities end because, as winners of the Illinois State Lottery's $45 million jackpot, the Chicago couple are also learning how to live like millionaires. [We're learning] how rich, rich people work with money and how it's done," says Arthur Britton. "The concept is totally different than what you perceive when you're ordinary working-class people."

Up until a few months ago, the couple - both 43 - were just regular folks trying to stretch a dollar. Now, after a $1 investment, they are the single largest winners in the state's lottery history and are entitled to receive an annual check for $1.8 million, after taxes, for the next 20 years. "You know, your first reaction is really disbelief," says Julia Britton. "So we all gathered hands and prayed because we didn't know what was going to happen to us. It's really very scary, so we started praying that we would do the right thing."

Winning $45 million is enough to make a person's head spin, but Julia Britton, an elementary school teacher, and Arthur, a steel worker, aren't the types to do much head-spinning. "Rings, gold, diamonds - not me," says Arthur Britton. "I'm a simple person. I enjoy simple things."

The Brittons' good fortune has thrust them into the public spotlight and forced them to scramble to keep some semblance of privacy. They refuse, for example, to release their 18-year-old daughter's name and the names of family and friends to the media. Since winning, they've heard not only from strangers asking for handouts but also from long-lost relatives as well.

Desiree G. Rogers, director of the Illinois State Lottery, says she warns recent winners that "there will be people you have known, people who have been friends, people you've known all your life who will disappoint you because of the money. You have to be prepared for that because it's going to change your life. It's going to change the way some people think of you."

Rogers also advises winners to seek professional assistance with managing their new-found wealth. "I tell them to take their time. Get a good attorney. Get a good accountant, someone who knows what they're doing," she says. "There's a whole series of decisions that most people never have to deal with and they should definitely seek professional advice."

The Brittons haven't made up their minds exactly how they will spend their millions but they are positive their daughter will attend college this fall. Prior to winning the jackpot, paying for her education was one of their major concerns. Arthur Britton had resigned himself to working weekends and putting in as much overtime as possible, saying he had decided that if he had to, "I'd work until I just died. Bottom line - the kid was going to go through college." Julia, who had never worked during the summer, had made plans to teach summer school. "[The money] is a relief and a blessing," says Arthur.

As for their jobs, Arthur, who has not returned to work since winning, now describes himself as a former steelworker. His wife, however, decided to take the summer to decide whether or not she will resume teaching in the fall. "This is really a hard decision," says Julia Britton. "This was the job I liked. This was the job I prepared for and felt so good about."

The Brittons are also planning to give some of the money away. They want to make life a little easier for members of their family and to contribute financially to their church and community.

"I want to work with some scholarships," says Julia Britton, "not only for my immediate family but there are others that may have some educational needs. I'm trying to structure a plan so some of the money can go straight toward educating a lot of people."

The couple, who will celebrate 21 years of marriage in December, would also like to take the dream honeymoon they never had and Arthur Britton would like to fulfill his dream of owning an automotive body shop. A new house, they both say, is definitely in their future, along with a few laid-back fishing trips for Arthur.

"I just want to take it easy," he says, "I say six months but it might be a year. Take it easy and get back to fishing. I miss fishing and now I can fish just about anywhere."