A Powerball winner who has donated more than $3 million of his record winnings to churches was drinking at a strip club when $545,000 was stolen from his sport utility vehicle, police said Tuesday.
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."
Someone broke the driver's side window and took a briefcase containing $245,000 in cash and three $100,000 cashier's checks belonging to Whittaker, who hit Powerball's richest jackpot on Christmas Day, police said. The briefcase, cash and checks were found behind a nearby trash bin.
"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.
Authorities believe the thief has close ties to the Pink Pony strip club in Cross Lanes, but no arrests have been made.
Whittaker first arrived at the Pink Pony on Monday evening. He left shortly after midnight, returning at 2:30 a.m. and leaving his vehicle's motor running, Tucker said.
Whittaker discovered the broken window about 5 a.m. and tried to go back inside to call police, but club employees initially refused to let him in.
Whittaker called deputies at 5:20 a.m. and also called his private investigator, who found the stolen money behind the trash bin less than an hour later, police said.
Club employees declined to comment to The Associated Press. Kanawha County Chief Deputy Phil Morris said they told deputies Whittaker was allowed to stay at the club until after 5 a.m. because he had drunk too much alcohol. The club closes at 3 a.m.
Whittaker told deputies that he was drugged after his return to the Pink Pony, and he provided police with a urine sample for analysis, Morris said.
"There's no confusion on the fact that he didn't have all his faculties," Morris said.
A compact disc player and several CDs stolen from a vehicle belonging to club owners were recovered along with the briefcase, he said.
Whittaker claimed a $113 million cash option after winning a record $314.9 million jackpot.
He doesn't need a bodyguard, he needs a new life. Everyone knows that once you win that kind of money, you have to really get a low, low profile. Carrying that kind of money was STUPID...I don't care if he owned a bank. It is a wonder, they didn't take his life...The LORD has given him his money back and made sure no one really got anything from him..he should change his ways..QUICK..before his GRACE runs out.
Mr. Whittaker is a gambler like all us lottery players. Winning the jackpot didn't make him smart, he was a gambler that got lucky. When it comes to winning the lottery, lucky beats smart every time.
i agree with littleoldlady. of much is given, much will be required.
i hope mr. whittaker realizes what he has and steers clear of the things that can reduce him into national enquirer fodder. they say that money only brings to the surface in a bigger - more obvious way, the character of a man. mr. whittaker has a heart for helping people turn their lives around. maybe he was helping those strippers turn their life around by "networking". maybe he got caught up in that good ol' boy game "hey there's jack. lets buy him a round of drinks to show our appreciation for what ol' jack has done for our community" (lol). anyway jack if your reading this, i am coming after your "crown" (the world's single largest lottery jackpot winner).
time for a visiondude poll. i will conduct it at lottery discussion.
Yes that was very stupid to carry that much money in your truck and for what reason. If Mr. Whittaker would like to just throw money away he can throw some my way.
God himself does NOT require perfection from us, but he DOES require us to live up to certain standards.
since i am not the kind that will kick a man when he is down, i hope mr. whittaker puts his pants back on and gets back to the business at hand. that of being worthy of the gift that he has been given.
With that much money you would think he would have a bodyguard or driver?
He doesn't need a bodyguard, he needs a new life. Everyone knows that once you win that kind of money, you have to really get a low, low profile. Carrying that kind of money was STUPID...I don't care if he owned a bank. It is a wonder, they didn't take his life...The LORD has given him his money back and made sure no one really got anything from him..he should change his ways..QUICK..before his GRACE runs out.
Littleoldlady is right, he needs a brain.
Mr. Whittaker is a gambler like all us lottery players. Winning the jackpot didn't make him smart, he was a gambler that got lucky. When it comes to winning the lottery, lucky beats smart every time.
RJOh
Jack should go back to buying his 'biscuits and coffee' at the local convenience store where he buys his lotto tickets.
Safer atmosphere than the PP
I just saw Jack Whittaker on the local news saying he has plans for the club, he plans to buy it and bulldoze it.
RJOh
i agree with littleoldlady. of much is given, much will be required.
i hope mr. whittaker realizes what he has and steers clear of the things that can reduce him into national enquirer fodder. they say that money only brings to the surface in a bigger - more obvious way, the character of a man. mr. whittaker has a heart for helping people turn their lives around. maybe he was helping those strippers turn their life around by "networking". maybe he got caught up in that good ol' boy game "hey there's jack. lets buy him a round of drinks to show our appreciation for what ol' jack has done for our community" (lol). anyway jack if your reading this, i am coming after your "crown" (the world's single largest lottery jackpot winner).
time for a visiondude poll. i will conduct it at lottery discussion.
VDQPLS
RJOH
Did he say he was buying & bulldozing it down before or after he sobered up?
Hmmn
Yes that was very stupid to carry that much money in your truck and for what reason. If Mr. Whittaker would like to just throw money away he can throw some my way.
Show Me The Money.
he came back a 2:45am after closing, probably being a gentleman and giving that nice young lady with the sad story a ride home!
Hey gang...
Some day I will clue you all in on how Mr. Whittaker turned us down on a very legitimate business deal through his Foundation.
Now, he goes and does this foolish thing. Now I know why God didn't let him him help us. A Christian man doesen't hang out in Strip Club's.
Visiondude, you have my vote...
thank's KB,
God himself does NOT require perfection from us, but he DOES require us to live up to certain standards.
since i am not the kind that will kick a man when he is down, i hope mr. whittaker puts his pants back on and gets back to the business at hand. that of being worthy of the gift that he has been given.
"of much has been given, MUCH will be required"
VDQPLS