It wasn’t us. But we know where the winning tickets were sold. The unprecedented Powerball jackpot, whose rise to more than $1.5 billion became a national fascination, will be split three ways.
The winners’ identities remain a mystery for the time being, but they bought their tickets in Florida, Tennessee and California.
And talk about lucky – each winning ticket was sold in a state with no additional taxes.
That means each winner will pocket either $245,875,000 in a lump sum cash payment, or receive an annuity payment of $13,220,000 for the next 30 years.
The winners of the world-record jackpot overcame odds of 1 in 292.2 million to land on the numbers drawn Wednesday night, 4-8-19-27-34 and Powerball 10.
The California ticket was sold at a 7-Eleven in Chino Hills, California, lottery spokesman Alex Traverso told The Associated Press. The winning ticket in Tennessee was sold in Munford, north of Memphis, according to a news release from lottery officials in that state.
The California store and its surrounding strip mall immediately became a popular gathering spot in the usually quiet suburb of 75,000 people. Hundreds of people, from news crews to gawkers, crowded the store and spilled into its parking lot.
They cheered and mugged for TV cameras as if it were New Year’s Eve or a sporting event. Many chanted, “Chino Hills! Chino Hills!” in celebration of the city.
“It’s history. We’re all so excited for our city,” Rita Talwar, 52, who has lived in Chino Hills for 30 years, told the local newspaper, the San Bernardino Sun.
Some took selfies with the store clerk on duty, who became an instant celebrity and may well have been the man who sold the ticket after being on duty for much of the run-up to Wednesday night’s drawing.
“I’m very proud that the ticket was sold here,” the clerk, M. Faroqui, told the Sun. “I’m very happy. This is very exciting.”
The 7-Eleven will get a $1 million bonus for selling the winning ticket, Traverso said.
No details were immediately available about the Florida winner.
The estimated jackpot amounts had risen steadily since Nov. 4, when it was reset at $40 million. Texas Lottery executive director Gary Grief has said this Powerball offered “absolutely” the world’s biggest jackpot.
Powerball tickets are sold in 44 states, as well as the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
But residents in the six states that don’t participate found ways to get their hands on tickets. Some of the biggest Powerball sales have come from cities bordering states that don’t sell the tickets, according to the Multi-State Lottery Association. The association oversees the Powerball Lottery, but management rotates annually among member states.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
I still say it is a rigged system. Only shills win!
How is that possible? Did you learn a new word or something?
Congratulations to the winners , Good for them ! I hope they will use the money wisely and allocate some for the good of humanity.
All states obama has friends in. Makes you wonder.
No doesn’t make me wonder, MAKES ME KNOW!
Who are his friends in Florida??
Friend in FL? How quick you forget
DEBBIE WASSERMAN SHULTZ!!!
Let’s take that one step further.!! Is there anybody that’s not a crook,or some other form of terrorist in there right mind that would be his friend ??? He’s the biggest mistake, piece of s–t that this country has ever made !!!
Florida is mainly a Republican State..we don’t like Obama..he is like a thorn whenever he comes here!
If I were one that won, I would change my name and move to another state. I would still take care of all my children and do good for humanity but I would do it in my own way. I would help the needy but not thru the charities that most of the money goes to paying CEO high salaries and very little goes to the actual Charity. I won but not enough to have to worry about moving. Just saying.
I hear you. Too many charities have CEO’s who have outrageous incomes, Good Will is a prime example.
Stick with the Salvation Army,very low overhead!!
The real winner is government. The federal government will get a share of the winnings in the form of income taxes and the states will get to pocket a large chunk of the ticket sales within their borders. For most people this is nothing more than a tax which they happily pay. Maybe the IRS should start giving away some prize as part of the annual income tax. It seems the prize changes people’s willingness to donate to government coffers.
all three states do not have state taxes so the States will not gain!
I live in California and we DO pay state taxes. Don’t know where you got your information Cricky. CA will gain from the winner being a resident of this state. I have no idea about the other states, but I pay taxes in CA.
Congratulations to the winners. God bless them all. May the Lord give them guidance on how to wisely use their new wealth.
Why can’t the winners accept their winnings in a discrete way? Now they will be approached by all the scam artists, relatives they never knew they had and people in general who will beg them for money. I’m happy for the winners but you’ve chosen a dangerous road.
they can get a lawyer to represent them! I have seen that happen also!
Yes, congratulations to the winners and I pray that this money does not bring them grief. So many people have their lives ruined by large amounts of money coming to them. Friends and family become their enemies. I pray they ask God for wisdom as how to spend and invest.
I thought the Lotto was originally started to help fund schools and only a small percentage of the money would go to a lucky winner. Now it seems huge sums to go lucky winners of these daily/weekly/etc. lotto games.
Yes, I am sure the government will get a large share, as people will opt for the one-time payout, instead of over 30 years. The question is: What will the government do with the millions of dollars left after these winners accept their money? Or, better yet, what government official(s) will take the money for themselves?
It seems that we keep getting more and more millionaires out of these Lotto games and the states, like Illinois are on the boarder of bankruptcy. Maybe the State Governors should hire Financial Planners to handle the money collected by Lotto games!
I hope they use their Money wisely, not like a lot of Lottery Winners they squander their Money and then end up in the Poor House ,but with that much Money you would have to burn it to end up poor ,all I can say is that is Devine intervention ,I hope they will help some poor Souls , they really are blessed and I hope they realize that ,I am glad for them and I hope that they needed the Money ,
Get your team together before you claim it! A top level lawyer, an investment advisor, a top level tax planner and a great accountant! Then when you have them in place, get the money and dissappear for about six months to let everything die down. Be smart, change phones, move, and remember that Uncle Sam is going to get his share and so will the State! Plan wisely!
I believe the lottery is rigged also. No one in the smaller states like Arkansas never win the big payout amounts it’s always in Florida or another big state
the lottery should be banned it’s nothing more than a tax food stamps are most likely sold at a discount to buy lottery tickets
just a terrible waste of money i wonder how many children go hungry because of gambling.
All LOOTeries are a tax on the POOR!
It is the poor and the low paid who buy tickets they can ill afford – often from food money – and it is they who lose out – big time!
When will folks learn?