New Jersey Powerball Winner Bought Just One Ticket
Wednesday May 11th 2016New Jersey lottery officials have revealed that the winner of the sixth-biggest Powerball jackpot in history purchased just one ticket for the drawing on Saturday May 7th as they wait for the lucky player to come forward. Only one ticket matched all five main numbers plus the Powerball, and the owners of the 7-Eleven in Trenton which sold it have expressed their delight at the thought of someone they know landing a top prize worth $429.6 million.
Lottery officials held a press conference at the convenience store on Monday and confirmed that whoever bought the ticket had opted at the time of purchase to go for the $284 million cash option rather than annuity. The player had also chosen their own numbers instead of letting the computer do a quick pick, and had entered just one line for both the Wednesday and Saturday drawings, spending another $1 on each ticket to add the Power Play option.
“They spent $6 to win $284 million. That’s a pretty good investment,” said the New Jersey Lottery’s executive director Carole Hedinger. The player, who now becomes the largest winner of a single lottery prize in New Jersey history, has been urged to bring their ticket to Lottery headquarters in Trenton, where it can be safeguarded by officials for as long as the player needs while they seek financial advice.
While the identity of the ticket holder may remain a mystery at present, store owner Andrea Shin and her husband Luis Soler have already been able to start celebrating after receiving a $30,000 bonus just for selling the winning ticket. “It’s amazing to be part of this, we’re all very excited that our store was involved,” Shin said during the news conference. “This is a life-changing event for the winner, and I hope this brings positive things for them.”
Speculating on who the winner might be, Shin commented to CNN Money: “We get a lot of repeat customers. We think it probably is someone we do know.” The jackpot winner has a year from the date of the drawing to claim their prize and the residents of Trenton will be fascinated to see who eventually comes forward.
The Powerball jackpot will stand at $40 million for tonight’s drawing, and tickets can be purchased from authorized retailers in 44 states, plus Washington D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S Virgin Islands. The latest winner has shown that it takes just one lucky ticket to net an incredible amount of cash, so players across the country are sure to be heading out to play. Best of luck!
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