Wisconsin Men Honor Long-Ago Handshake, Share $22M Powerball Win

MADISON, WI — What’s a long-ago handshake worth when making a pact? For two Wisconsin fishing buddies now evenly splitting a $22 million Powerball jackpot, a deal is a deal.

Friends Thomas Cook, of Elk Mound, and Joseph Feeney, of Menomonie, made the deal in 1992, pledging that if either won the Powerball, they’d split their winnings down the middle.

They didn’t expect they’d ever win, but religiously bought lottery tickets every week, the handshake deal they made never out of their minds.

Over breakfast, Cook was checking the ticket he bought against the June 10 winning numbers and “froze” after seeing the first three numbers matched. He handed it to his wife, and “she froze,” too, he said in a video on the Wisconsin Lottery’s YouTube channel.

Once they confirmed the numbers, Cook called Feeney.

“Are you jerking my bobber?” he asked, referencing the fishing float anglers use to drop their bait to otherwise inaccessible depths of water.

The Wisconsin Lottery, based in Madison, announced Wednesday the winning June 10 Powerball ticket had been claimed. They plan to split the cash payout of $16.7 million, taking home about $5.7 million apiece after taxes.

Cook turned in his two-weeks notice. Feeney was already retired. Neither has extravagant plans for the winnings, but plan to upgrade the small PT Cruiser convertible previously used for road trips with their wives.

"We can pursue what we feel comfortable with,” Cook told the Wisconsin Lottery. “I can't think of a better way to retire.”

The Wisconsin Lottery began offering Powerball in 1992, the same year the two men made their handshake deal. Their prize is the 18th Powerball jackpot win since then. The last winning Powerball ticket claimed in Wisconsin was in March 2019, when a record $768.4 million jackpot was claimed.

“Congratulations to Tom, Joe, and their families,” Wisconsin Lottery Director Cindy Polzin said, according to the news release. “The power of friendship and a handshake has paid off. I’m thrilled for them—their lucky day has arrived!”