A single Powerball ticket bought in California has won a staggering $2.04 billion
After three months without a winner, a Powerball ticket in southern California earned $2.04bn.
Tuesday morning in Tallahassee, Florida, the winning numbers were 10, 33, 41, 47, 56, and 10.
The winning ticket was sold at Joe’s Service Center in Altadena, California, northeast of Los Angeles.
The drawing was scheduled for Monday night but was delayed about 10 hours due to problems processing sales data at one of the game’s member lotteries. Officials said the process’s security was crucial.
Drew Svitko, head of the Powerball Product Group and executive director of the Pennsylvania Lottery, said, “Protecting the integrity of the draw is of upmost importance, and we were able to do that during this historic drawing with the cooperation of all participating lotteries,”
Joe Chahayed will get $1m for selling the winning ticket. Surprised. Happy. Chahayed wore a yellow California Lottery shirt and cap.
Chahayed doesn’t know who won but hopes it’s a local. “he didn’t know who won the giant prize but hopes it’s someone local. “I wish I knew the person but most people who buy tickets from me are from the neighbourhood. I hope one of them will be the winner,”
Chahayed stated he’d spend his $1m on his five children and the neighbourhood.
Players choose five numbers between 1 and 69 and a sixth number, the “powerball,” between 1 and 26. Ticket holders win the jackpot if all six numbers match those drawn.
The game is played in 45 states, DC, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands.
Powerball requires all 48 participating lotteries to submit sales and play data before picking winners. Once Powerball gets the outstanding application, the drawing can proceed, MLA added.
It’s roughly $400m bigger than the previous record. Only four previous jackpots above $1bn, but none came close to today’s, which started at $20m on August 6 and climbed over three fruitless months.
Powerball’s website and YouTube channel posted the winning numbers and drawing video.
The $2.04bn award is paid annually over 29 years as an annuity. Nearly all winners choose for cash, although the value wasn’t known Tuesday morning.
