$273 Million Lottery Winner Says He’s Buying A Raptor!

Mike Weirsky is a lucky man. The 54 year old New Jersey resident had actually left his most recent lottery ticket purchase on the counter at the store after he got distracted by his cell phone. One of those tickets, which were turned in to the store by a Good Samaritan, made Mike $273 million richer when he matched all the numbers drawn on March 1st.

Like most of us would after learning we’d hit it rich with a big Lotto payday, Mike has spent the past few days thinking about what he wants to buy first when he gets the money in his hands. Many lotto winners would be looking at lavish luxury vehicles or high end exotic cars, but Mike says his first purchase will be a little more practical, although we here and Speed Society think it’s practically perfect.

Ford’s Raptor F-150 is one of the coolest rides on the market right now, and that’s what Mike has declared will be the first thing he buys with his winnings. If you go to Ford’s build-your-own website, you can max out a Raptor with all the bells and whistles at just a hair under $80,000, and I suspect that will be the Raptor that finds its way into Mike’s driveway.

Powered by the 450 horsepower EcoBoost V6, the 2019 Raptor is one of the most powerful pickups on the market today. The twin turbocharged powerplant cranks out and impressive 510 ft/lbs of torque, and the aggressive long-travel suspension makes it the most capable off=road truck available as well. Plus, with the 2019 design overhaul for the F-150 lineup, the new Raptor looks downright badass too!

We send Mike and his family our sincere congratulations and hope he’s able to avoid the many pitfalls and pity traps that seem to await so many big-buck lottery winners. A little humility and common sense will go a long way toward allowing Mike to keep his money working for him for many years to come.