As Saturday's Powerball jackpot tops $1.7 billion, Mark Harder has advice for the winner: Stay anonymous if you can.
A partner with the law firm Warner Norcross + Judd, Harder shared his firsthand experience in advising lottery winners during an interview with NPR's All Things Considered. Harder led a team from Warner and other professionals supporting the Mid-Michigan winners who claimed an $842.4 million jackpot from the Jan. 1, 2024 Powerball drawing — one of the top five largest jackpots in Powerball history.
In "The Dangers of a Powerball Office Pool," NPR highlighted "lottery horror stories" of how office lottery pools can run into trouble. Harder told reporters it was wise to establish rules before joining to determine who's in — and who's not — to prevent future arguments. It was essential, he noted, to "leave a paper trail" once co-workers decided to pool resources and purchase tickets.
But his top piece of advice to the next winner? "If you have the option to remain anonymous," Harder said, "I would strongly encourage you to do so."
You can listen to Harder's full interview online at All Things Considered.
