JUNE 11, 2024:
GRAND BLANC TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — A mid-Michigan couple and a lawyer from the west side of the state were announced Tuesday (June 11, 2024) as winners of an $842.4 million Powerball lottery jackpot from a ticket purchased on New Year’s Day.
The Breakfast Club lottery club opted for a cash lump sum of $305 million after taxes, Michigan Lottery Commissioner Suzanna Shkreli told reporters outside the Food Castle convenience store in Grand Blanc Township near Flint, where the winning ticket was sold.
The winning numbers drawn were: 12, 21, 42, 44, 49 and red Powerball: 1.
Speaking on behalf of The Breakfast Club, member and attorney Mark Harder said the middle-aged couple has “been elated and overwhelmed, thrilled and nervous” since realizing their ticket was the winner.
“They’ve gone from shock and sleepless nights to giving careful thought as to how this once-in-a-lifetime event will transform their lives,” Harder said.
“The morning after the drawing, we heard through the news that the winning ticket had been sold here,” Harder said. “(The husband) looked up the ticket numbers on his phone, and he was so stunned he dropped his phone.”
In a statement, the couple, whose names were not revealed Tuesday, said the prize will positively affect their family for generations to come.
“Up until now, we’ve led a comfortable life and anticipated retiring someday,” according to the statement read by Harder. “Now, we’re not financially bound to any specific timetable. The world and our opportunities have opened up in some incredible ways.”
Harder told reporters that the husband plans to continue working for a while longer. The couple also expect to travel more and possibly buy property in Florida when Michigan winters “get to be a bit too much.”
They also plan to share the winnings with their immediate family and donate to charities, Harder added. He didn’t indicate what he would do with his own winnings.
Food Castle will receive $50,000 in commission for selling the winning ticket. The store’s owners said they will share the entire amount with their employees and donate to food pantries and other charities.
The winning numbers for a $1.3 billion Powerball jackpot were drawn in April in Oregon.
JANUARY 3, 2024:
JOHNSTON, Iowa (AP) — Someone in Michigan won an $842.4 million Powerball jackpot on the first day of 2024, the first time it has been won on New Year’s Day since the game’s start in 1992.
The winning numbers drawn were: 12, 21, 42, 44, 49 and red Powerball: 1.
Final ticket sales pushed the jackpot beyond its earlier estimate of $810 million to $842.4 million at the time of the drawing, making it the fifth-largest Powerball jackpot and 10th-largest U.S. lottery jackpot ever won.
The lucky ticket was sold at the Food Castle convenience store in Grand Blanc Township, near Flint. According to WJRT, Food Castle has been a fixture in the community for nearly 40 years.
“Usually, you hear stuff like that happening in different states,” store owner Bill Nannoshi told the station. “So, it’s great. It’s great for this community. I mean, Grand Blanc is an awesome place to work.”
Before the big win on New Year’s, the jackpot had been growing since mid-October.
The chance of winning the Powerball jackpot is 1 in 292.2 million.
The lucky ticket holder will have the choice between an annuitized prize of $842.4 million, payable over 30 years, or a lump sum payment of $425.2 million. Both prize options are before taxes.
Other top-winning tickets include four sold in California, Connecticut, Florida and Maryland, that matched all five white balls to win $1 million prizes. Two tickets, from Florida and Texas, matched all five white balls and won $2 million prizes by including the Power Play option for an additional $1 per play.
Powerball is played in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
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