US Powerball Lottery Jackpot of $365million won

This win really is the biggest ever lottery win by a single ticket, but as it is a US lottery win, the lucky recipient can choose to take the full amount over a 30-year period, or half the amount as a lump sum (taxable) of about $178million. What would you do? Well the holder of the winning ticket kept America in a grip of suspense. The Powerball draw was made on Saturday evening, on February 18 and it was bought at the U-Stop convenience store in Lincoln, Nebraska. There is even a videotape of the two men who were at the counter of the U-Stop shop at 3:09p.m. on Friday, 17 February buying the ticket. By Sunday, the shop where the ticket was bought was swamped with reporters as everyone tried to work out if they knew the winners’ identity. The winning numbers were 15, 17, 43, 44 and 48, with a Powerball number of 29. Powerball is played in 28 states, and the U.S. Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia.

Well, come Wednesday, all was revealed at a press conference at a local hotel. Although one ticket had won the lot, it was shared by eight meat-packer workers from the ConAgra meat processing plant, near the store where the ticket was bought. The eight workers will each receive a cheque for $15million, all taxes paid (about £9million), to do with as they please. The ticket was bought by Dung Tran, aged 34 who would not say where he had put it to keep it safe, once he knew they were winners. Quang Dao, 56; David Gehle, 53; Alain Maboussou, 26; Chasity Rutjens, 29; Robert Stewart, 30; Michael Terpstra, 47; and Eric Zornes, 40 were the other lucky winners. They have all been playing the Powerball as a group, on and off for many years, and all work together. Whenever the jackpot got big, they would pool their money, like this time when they spent $40 on eight five-play quick pick tickets. The plans of the winners vary, but some of them were in no rush to leave work, still going in everyday until their plans are finalised.

But these eight weren’t the only lucky winners from the Powerball draw. Seventeen Intel workers claimed a second prize worth $667,142. Not as huge, but still worth winning for matching five white balls, but not the red Powerball. Such is life!

- 28/2/05