13 Starbucks Workers to Share $87 Million

Oct. 25, 2000 -- Thirteen lucky Starbucks employees are California’s newest millionaires.

All 13 employees at a Los Angeles Starbucks coffee house will share an $87 million lottery jackpot won over the weekend

Store manager Mary Champaine, a 53-year-old widow whose husband died of cancer a year ago, had collected $1 each from the employees Saturday.

“I said let’s get some tickets and we just might win,” Champaine told ABC’s Good Morning America.

For those employees not at work, she reached into her purse and made sure she found enough money to include everybody.

“A Starbucks motto — one team, one purpose — that’s what I wanted. I wanted everybody to share in it,” Champaine said.

They hit all six numbers and will split one of California’s biggest lotto jackpots in years. The money will be distributed in 26 annual payments. Each employee will receive about $4.8 million after taxes.

Open for Business

Despite winning the enormous jackpot, all Starbucks workers showed up for work.

“When we won, I couldn’t shut the doors, because my customers were still coming,” Champaine said.

She knows that while all of the 13 employees are showing up for work now, the store will likely lose some workers eventually.

“I’ll probably lose some, but right now, they’re going to stay with me. They haven’t got the money yet. They’re young and I want to make sure they’ll be OK. So they’ll [work to] get a check until they get the big check,” Champaine said.

Champaine says she has no immediate plans to quit.

Disbelief

Champaine said some of her co-workers did not believe her when she told them they had hit the jackpot.

“I must have called a couple of them twice because they kept thinking I was teasing, and it was for real.”

Employee Moisha Oliver said she got a call Monday night from Champaine to let her know they had won. She didn’t believe it.

“I said, ‘I’ll see you in the morning. If there’s cameras andlights, I’ll know we won,“‘ she said. “I can’t do cartwheels because I have a skirt on. If I had pants on I think I’d be outthere giving you a cheerleading show, jumping up and down on thetables. But I’ve got to be ladylike.”

Employee Keith Matthews said: “It’s the kind of news that makesyou want to jump up and say hi to the guys in the shuttle.”

A Touch of Magic

The Starbucks is owned, in part, by former L.A. Lakers star Magic Johnson, and Champaine explains that must have been a good luck charm.

“A lot of magic came our way — thank you Magic!” Champaine said Tuesday laughing. “A lot of luck came our way.”

Champaine is still not sure what she’s going to do with her share of the money.

“Who knows — I don’t know! I’m just trying to figure out what’s happening. I really, I am, I’m not sure if I’m — if this is really happening,” Champaine said Tuesday.

ABCNEWS Correspondent Steffan Tubbs and The Associated Press contributed to this report.