A Missouri resident has claimed half of the second-largest lottery jackpot ever, after coming forward with one of the winning tickets in a nearly $1.8 billion Powerball drawing in the US.
According to the Missouri Lottery, the winner matched all the numbers in the September 6 drawing for a $1.787 billion Powerball jackpot. Two winning tickets were sold, entitling each holder to half the prize. The lottery did not disclose the man's name.
Describing himself as a homebody, the winner said he plans to take time off and spend it with his wife. "I'm just going to do what's good for me for a year," he said as he arrived at Missouri Lottery headquarters in Jefferson City to claim the prize. "A perfect day is sitting at home and doing what I do, relaxing." Referring to his wife, he joked that "she's going to drag me out of town now."
Each winning ticket holder was given the choice between an annuity of $893.5 million paid over time or a one-time cash payment of $410.3 million, both before taxes. The Missouri winner opted for the lump sum, the lottery said.
He admitted the scale of the win was hard to grasp. "I'm a millionaire, a multimillionaire, and I did laundry last night," he said in disbelief, according to the Missouri Lottery. He also described several sleepless nights after realizing his ticket was a winner, adding, "This is the best problem I've ever had."
