State lottery officials have finally announced that the winner of the record-breaking $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot has come forward after over three months of the ticket being unclaimed. The California Lottery revealed that the winner, whose identity will be disclosed on February 14, 2023, will “show california education a whole lot of LOVE on Valentines Day.
The winning ticket was purchased at Joe’s Service Center, a local Altadena service station on Woodbury Road, and matched all six numbers – 10, 33, 41, 47, 56, and the Powerball number 10. The overall jackpot represents the largest lottery win in US history, with the single winning ticket earning a prize of $1.9 billion, according to the California Lottery.
The holder of the winning ticket will have the option to choose between payments or a lump sum, with the lump sum payment totaling $997.6 million. The odds of matching all five numbers and the Powerball number is 1 in 292.2 million, according to the Multi-State Lottery Association, which conducts the game.
In addition to the jackpot winner, three other tickets sold in California matched five numbers in that drawing but missed the Powerball number. These tickets were sold in Gardena, Beaumont, and San Francisco, and were each worth around $1.15 million. A total of 22 such tickets were sold nationally.
The owner of Joe’s Service Center, Joseph Chahayed, has also been rewarded for his part in the jackpot win, earning a $1 million bonus as the retailer who sold the winning ticket. Speaking to reporters, he expressed his gratitude to the community for their support and stated that he planned to share his bonus payment with his family, including his eleven grandchildren. Chahayed also encouraged others to purchase tickets from his station, saying, “You’re going to be a winner too.”
The local win marks the first time the California Lottery has doled out a jackpot topping $1 billion to a single winner, and it is heartwarming to see the community benefiting from the lottery funds. With the identity of the winner yet to be disclosed, there is a lot of excitement surrounding who the lucky individual might be and how they plan to use their incredible winnings.
