Australia - 'Mystery' $16 million Powerball winner taken to court by syndicate

zwiebel

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49-year-old Gary Baron, originally an anonymous winner of a $16.6 million Powerball prize last October, is being taken to court by 14 former co-workers for a $1 million share each.

Baron, of Geelong, was in charge of collecting money and buying tickets for the syndicate, who all worked as couriers at Toll Group. The day after the win, he stayed off work, set up an investment company and resigned a week later. Later, he said he'd inherited money to explain his sudden, expensive purchases of cars and a new home. Using his right to remain anonymous, nobody but officials knew about the win.

In a stunning coincidence though, his former courier company was hired by Powerball authorities to deliver congratulatory champagne to Baron, and the secret was out. Baron denies any wrongdoing and insists he bought his winning ticket separately.

His 15th former co-worker and syndicate member is not a participant in the legal suit. She is now Baron's girlfriend.

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/p...ted-by-syndicate-members-20150525-gh9bjl.html
 
Doesn't everyone have access to a copy machine these days?

When I worked at an office with a lottery "syndicate", the syndicate tickets were xeroxed at the time of purchase and everyone involved received a copy. If any member of the group had ever hit it big (none of us did), there would have been no question whether the winning ticket belonged to the group or was an individual purchase.
 
Supreme Court has given the go-ahead for the syndicate to try and find out if they are entitled to a share.

Baron says his winning ticket was completely separate from the one he purchased for the syndicate, using the exact amount of money they gave him.

The syndicate says Baron was the only person who knew what the syndicate's cash pot was, so that doesn't prove anything.

Baron did previously inform and distribute $9,000 to the syndicate, from another win.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-...e-to-seek-share-of-winning-16m-ticket/6503828
 

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