Questions are being asked by many across the nation about three wealth management executives who have come forward to claim the $254 million lottery winnings, reportedly on behalf of their wealthy client. INSIDE EDITION reports.
Cheers greeted the three bankers who won a record $254 million Powerball lottery.
But are these three rich professional money managers the real winners? It's a multi-million dollar mystery.
All three are already wealthy and live in Greenwich, Connecticut, one of the most opulent communities in America. Now a friend has come forward and claims they're not the real winners at all, just representatives for an even wealthier client who wants to keep his identity a secret.
"I'm friends with the guys and they don't want me to tell," said the friend, Tom Gladstone.
The three partners looked nervous and uncomfortable when they came forward to collect their astonishing windfall, not at all like instant multi-millionaires.
"I'm Greg Skidmore, this is Brandon Lacoff, and this is Timothy Davidson," said Greg Skidmore.
"It feels good," was all they said. The rest of the talking was done by their attorney.
"The one thing we do know is that a significant amount will be going to Connecticut charities," said their attorney.
But even that is being challenged. Gladstone said, "They're keeping a large proportion of the money and they are going to manage it."
The New York tabloids had matching headlines: "Rich Get Richer." Good Morning America's George Stephanopoulos says something's fishy. "There could be some kind of fraud involved here," he said.
57-year-old Timothy Davidson claims he bought one ticket at a Connecticut gas station for a measly dollar.
Remarkably, no one claimed the money for 27 days. The lottery even posted billboards asking the winners to come forward.
The irony of the so-called 1% winning the jackpot was not lost on the 99% at the Occupy Wall Street protests.
"To think that three wealthy men would think of going to buy a lottery ticket, to get more money, to win more money. That was on their minds," said an Occupy Wall Street protester.
Clearly these are not the kind of folks who have just a dollar and a dream.
