237 individual syndicate members tracked across 27 years. The results challenge everything we think we know about lottery winners.
21
Syndicates
237
Members
27
Years
| Metric | Syndicate Members | Solo Winners |
|---|---|---|
| Individuals Tracked | 237 | 97 |
| Deaths | 0 | 13 |
| Bankruptcies | 0 | 2 |
| Financial Stability Rate | 100% | 98% |
Smaller individual amounts = realistic expectations. The sweet spot appears to be $5-50M per person.
In August 2013, less than a year after Superstorm Sandy devastated the Jersey Shore, 16 Ocean County vehicle maintenance workers won $86 million. Six of them had lost homes in the storm.
"This money will help us redo what we need to do." - Susan Nickel
Barbara Jo Riivald, one of the Ocean's 16, is the daughter of the late State Senator John F. Brown - the legislator who wrote the law that created the New Jersey Lottery.
"I couldn't ask for a better dad."
She didn't initially make the connection until her sister pointed it out.
Since 1990, 16 cafeteria workers at Holdingford High School in Minnesota contributed just 25 cents per paycheck to a lottery pool. In 2003, they won $95 million.
The "work family" stayed together. Most never left Holdingford.
Thomas Cook and Joseph Feeney were friends for 28 years. They always said they'd split a lottery win. In 2020, they honored that promise with a $22 million jackpot.
"We've been doing this for 28 years. It was just a handshake agreement."
Thomas gave two weeks notice. Joseph was already retired. The lottery tests friendships - theirs passed.
$500M solo = "I'm a god, I can do anything"
$25M as part of group = "I'm comfortable, but still me"
Hard to make crazy decisions when others are watching. 26.7% of syndicates kept working vs 1.1% of individuals.
Attention divided among members = less individual pressure. Power Pack's entire small town (pop. 1,214) kept the secret.
Strong bonds before win = strong bonds after. Cook-Feeney honored their 28-year handshake agreement.
| Syndicate | Size | Jackpot | Per Person | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amy O'Neal TN, 2016 | 20 | $540M | $27M | Unknown |
| William "Willie" Seeley NJ, 2013 | 16 | $116M | $7M | Unknown |
| Jane Shelver KY, 2007 | 22 | $91M | $4M | Stable |
| Sargento 100 (100 Miracles) WI, 2006 | 100 | N/A | - | Stable |
| Missouri Lucky 13 MO, 2006 | 13 | $351M | $27M | Stable |
| Donna Lange MN, 2003 | 16 | $248M | $16M | Unknown |
| John Jarrell OH, 1998 | 13 | $588M | $45M | Unknown |
| Syndicate | Size | Jackpot | Per Person | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheng Saephan OR, 2024 | 3 | $1.3B | $442M | Unknown |
| Mark K. Harder MI, 2024 | 3 | $842M | $281M | Unknown |
| Thomas Cook WI, 2020 | 2 | $25M | $13M | Unknown |
| James F. Stocklas PA, 2016 | 3 | $385M | $128M | Unknown |
| Rosa DeLeon MA, 2012 | 2 | $68M | $34M | Unknown |
| Michael Reardon IN, 2011 | 2 | $311M | $156M | Unknown |
| Kimberly Claassen MT, 2010 | 2 | $70M | $35M | Unknown |
| Karen Rodgers PA, 2005 | 3 | N/A | - | Stable |
Source: CazPoint Powerball Winners Analysis (21 syndicates, 237 members, 1998-2025)
Tracked via court records, foundation 990 filings, obituaries, news archives.
Last updated: January 2026