On Sunday night, we shared a story with you about a lucky gambler named William Hill who won $1,275 by placing a $25 bet that the first offensive play of the Super Bowl would be a safety. Sorry Mr. Hill, but you have nothing on New York’s own Jona Rechnitz.
According to TMZ, Rechnitz placed a $500 wager at 50:1 odds that the first play of the game would be a safety. He ended up winning $25,ooo that he is planning to donate to two separate charities.
Does Recnhitz’s name and story sound familiar? If so, it’s probably because he made a similar bet in 2012 when the New York Giants beat the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. When Tom Brady was called for intentional grounding in his own end zone and the Giants were awarded a safety, Rechnitz turned $1,000 into $50,000. Rechnitz, a Giants fan, also donated that money to charity and said he was going to give $5,000 of it to the charity of Brady’s choice.
TMZ describes Rechnitz as a “successful NYC real estate mogul,” so it’s possible he makes a ton of prop bets and loses a lot of money. Even if that is the case, he deserves credit for donating the cash to a good cause. Keep doing your thing, Jona.
