14 Westlake Employees Will Claim $41 Million Mega Millions Pot

It really was their lucky day. After playing the lottery collectively for 11 years, 14 employees of TravelCenters of America’s corporate headquarters in Westlake won a $41 million Mega Millions lottery pot.

“After 11 years, yesterday was their lucky day,” Tom Liutkus – VP of Marketing and Public Relations for the company, said.

The 14 will remain anonymous, but Liutkus said that they are all—appropriately—members of the company’s accounting group.

“They all came in to work today,” Liutkus said. “They’re pretty excited and we’re pretty excited for them.”

Liutkus said none have shared their plans as to whether or not they will take an annuity (collectively at $1.1 million per year) or a lump sum of $30 million, ($21.3 million after the required 25 percent Federal and 4 percent state taxes are withheld). “They’re thinking their piece through,” Liutkus said. None have disclosed, either, what they will do with their windfalls.

Travel Centers of America Operates the TA brand and Petro Stopping Centers. The company, with 245 centers in 41 states nationally employs 16,000 across the United States and about 350 at the corporate headquarters in Westlake in the King James plaza on Center Ridge Road.

The winnings proved an all-around boon for Westlake. The group purchased their ticket at Westlake's Deli-4-Less, which is located very close to Travel Centers’ headquarters. The delis owner, Mark Hadad, will receive a $41,000 check for selling the winning ticket.