What happens when a man down on his luck becomes a multimillionaire overnight? For Mike Weirsky, a New Jersey resident, this isn’t just a hypothetical question—it’s his reality. Just months after his divorce, Weirsky won a staggering $273 million Mega Millions jackpot, turning his life upside down in the most unexpected way.
Weirsky, 54, had been unemployed for years, relying on his then-wife, Eileen Murray, as the primary breadwinner during their 15-year marriage. When the couple finalized their divorce in October 2018, a court ordered Murray to pay Weirsky alimony for five years.
But in March 2019, Weirsky’s fortunes changed dramatically when he purchased a lottery ticket at a QuickChek in Phillipsburg, New Jersey. In a moment of distraction, he left the ticket on the counter, only for a kind stranger to turn it in to the store. That ticket, worth $273 million, made Weirsky one of the biggest lottery winners in New Jersey history. After opting for a lump sum, Weirsky walked away with $162.5 million after taxes—an amount that instantly transformed his life.
He shared his plans to buy a Ford Raptor truck, remodel his mother’s home, and take his family on a vacation. “I always wanted to know what it would be like to just wake up and go somewhere or buy something and just do it,” Weirsky said at a press conference. “When I get the money, I’m going to try that.” The win didn’t just spark celebration—it stirred up a public conversation about fairness and fortune.
Murray, 53, who worked as a cost analyst for a utilities company, was still paying alimony to Weirsky when news of his windfall broke. She made it clear she wasn’t after his millions but questioned the fairness of continuing to pay spousal support to a multimillionaire. “The only thing that I would like to see is, obviously, termination of spousal support,” Murray stated in an interview.
“To him, [the alimony] is pocket change at this point. Think about the amount of money that he has just won.” The situation took a personal turn when Weirsky claimed Murray had called him after his win, hinting at legal action. “She just called me today and told me she’s taking me back to court,” he said.
Murray, however, denied reaching out and insisted she had no interest in rekindling their relationship or chasing his fortune. “Now that you have money, it doesn’t mean that I would want to come back,” she said firmly. Weirsky’s response was blunt: “$270 million does not make me appealing to her.
That’s what she said in the New York Post interview. And do I believe her? I don’t care.” The public had plenty to say about the saga. Some praised Weirsky’s incredible luck, with one social media user commenting, “He won twice!”—referring to both the jackpot and his alimony situation.
Others felt Murray deserved relief from her payments, given Weirsky’s newfound wealth. “If the roles were reversed, people would expect her to stop paying,” one commenter noted on a social media platform. The debate highlighted the complexities of divorce settlements and sudden wealth, with no clear consensus on what’s fair.
Weirsky’s story also gained attention for the role of a Good Samaritan who returned his forgotten ticket. “I wouldn’t have $273 million if it wasn’t for them,” Weirsky said, expressing his desire to find and reward the honest stranger. The QuickChek store that sold the ticket received a $30,000 bonus from the New Jersey Lottery for its role in the win.
This tale of luck, loss, and lingering obligations has captivated audiences, blending the thrill of a massive jackpot with the personal drama of a recent divorce. While Weirsky plans to enjoy his fortune, the question remains: will he and Murray find common ground, or will their legal disputes linger? For now, Weirsky’s win serves as a reminder that life can change in an instant—sometimes in more ways than one.
