Lottery millionaire still lives in a trailer in Maine

Sep 27, 2019, 8:44 am (22 comments)

Maine Lottery

It's not an extravagant life, certainly, but it makes him happy.

So when he recently won big playing the Maine State Lottery — not just once, but twice, for a total of $1.1 million within a single four-month period — he didn't see much sense in changing things up, even after the money started rolling in.

The rolls of lottery winners might be filled with tales of lives altered following sudden riches, but Bobby Stuart's has remained exceedingly constant.

"Ain't nothing really different," he shrugs, falling into the big leather recliner in the living room of his trailer. "I do the same thing over and over."

Indeed, in the weeks since he won $1 million from a lucky scratch ticket — as well as another $100,000 just four months later — it would be almost impossible to tell. Stuart still calls the trailer home. Still clocks in for his 11-hour shifts at Hissong Ready-Mix & Aggregates. Still gets his supper at the same little restaurant every night after work.

To date, he hasn't allowed himself any of the luxuries commonly associated with overnight wealth — new cars, fancy toys, lavish jewelry.

"I put new windows in my trailer," he says, before quickly adding that he got a good deal on the job, from a friend of his son.

The son of a farmer, Stuart's never been much for exuberance. He grew up doing tough work on the farm, learned how to make do with little. His lone annual splurge is attending a NASCAR race over in Loudon, N.H., once a year.

"That's how we were brought up," says Stuart's sister, Becky Gosselin, who lives on the same patch of family land Bobby does. "So to be extravagant? No."

Same goes for work.

The first weekday after winning a million dollars, he clocked in for his shift at Hissong Ready-Mix & Aggregates. He waited a week to turn in his first winning ticket because, as he explains it, it was the earliest his work schedule would allow him to make the hour-and-a-half drive up to lottery headquarters in Augusta.

When he won, everyone told him to hire a lawyer or an accountant to help him manage his winnings.

"Why should I pay those guys?" grumbled Stuart, who used a free financial adviser from his bank instead.

As for the trailer, he has no qualms.

His brother offered to come over with an excavator, tear down the aging trailer, and build a new one. But Stuart doesn't much see the point. He's got his recliner and his TV. Pictures of his family cover the walls and the refrigerator.

"Everybody I talk to says, 'Why doesn't he buy a new house?' " says Stuart's 46-year-old son, Greg, who once won $250,000 from the state lottery himself. "I say, 'He doesn't want one.' "

Traveling doesn't sound too bad, Stuart says, but he's not sure where he'd go or who he'd go with.

If Christine were still around, maybe it would be different. They were married for 37 years, until that week two years ago when she went to the hospital with an illness and never came home.

Since then, he's preferred to keep things the way they are.

He's been happy, meanwhile, to share the wealth. He gave a portion of the winnings to each of his three children, telling them to do whatever they wanted with it. Whatever's left in savings will be divvied up among them after he's gone.

For the record, he has no plans to stop buying scratch tickets, even though everyone tells him he should quit while he's ahead.

It's something to do. And, anyway, who knows whether there might be another jackpot out there, waiting?

Last week, he stopped at a gas station and walked out with a couple of tickets.

He won $500.

News story photo(Click to display full-size in gallery)

News story photo(Click to display full-size in gallery)

Boston Globe

Comments

Raven62's avatarRaven62

Congrats to the blissful Winner!

Happiness is an emotion while bliss is a condition of the mind. Emotions occur at an excited state of the mind and anything that's at an excited state comes back to ground state. Whereas bliss is a general state of the mind by itself, it doesn't take anything in order to attain bliss: It's just there.

Loosechange45

I hope people leave him alone And I'm with him the thought of lawyers and accountants for 1million no, Mr. Drysdale at the bank can take care of it

music*'s avatarmusic*

Quote: Originally posted by Loosechange45 on Sep 27, 2019

I hope people leave him alone And I'm with him the thought of lawyers and accountants for 1million no, Mr. Drysdale at the bank can take care of it

I Agree! and laugh at your use of Mr. Drysdale. LOL

 He could still be grieving his deceased wife. 

 He won another $500 on his last visit to the store. WOW

gy65

"gave a portion of the winnings to each of his three children"

Sure hope he did not share too much of that $1,100,000 . . 2019 is going to be tax hell!  Might clear around $670,000 after 5% Maine and around 34% federal taxes . . plus 2019 wages would also be subject to around 34% federal taxes.

$670,000 invested in VWEAX would presently yield over $2,500 monthly dividends before taxes.

TheMeatman2005's avatarTheMeatman2005

Congrats on the wins! Keep it going.

If you're happy and you know it....... Hurray!

KY Floyd's avatarKY Floyd

"Mr. Drysdale at the bank can take care of it"

Of course he can.

Who else remembers that whenever Mr Drysdale was getting Jed to write a check for a charity that charity always had a name whose acronym was CASH? That "free financial adviser" at the bank is what's known as a salesman.  Winning $1.1 million doesn't make you rich (although this guy is old enough to safely splurge a bit), but spending a couple of grand on advice wouldn't be a bad investment.

gy65

These days "Mr Drysdale" is more likely to be an algorithm variation!

Elizabeth03's avatarElizabeth03

The man likes the life he has and it makes him comfortable!

jjtheprince14

Smart guy, he's not trying to live above his means so hopefully the $ will last a long time.

Kamalakar$'s avatarKamalakar$

CONGRATS..FOR WIN.

I know this or any other victory won't replenish 

the LOSS  of your better half...

with divine blessings..god may give

you many many happy  WINNINGS!

msharkey2001's avatarmsharkey2001

I’m from Maine! This guy is the epitome of Yankee frugality and resourcefulness.

Eighty0uts778's avatarEighty0uts778

Quote: Originally posted by KY Floyd on Sep 27, 2019

"Mr. Drysdale at the bank can take care of it"

Of course he can.

Who else remembers that whenever Mr Drysdale was getting Jed to write a check for a charity that charity always had a name whose acronym was CASH? That "free financial adviser" at the bank is what's known as a salesman.  Winning $1.1 million doesn't make you rich (although this guy is old enough to safely splurge a bit), but spending a couple of grand on advice wouldn't be a bad investment.

Forget Mr Drysdale and  keep the trailer if you are happy with. But I say spend a little buy yourself a cement pond. LOL  one of the best shows of all time.

sweetie7398's avatarsweetie7398

Good for the winner, Congrats💰

Soledad

Heck yeah. Good for him. Nice picture.

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