The Powerball website indicates that the statistical chances of matching all six of the winning numbers is approximately 1 in 175 million. However, with a stroke of luck, one man beat those staggering odds after playing the lottery for the second time ever. The winner of the whopping $400 million Powerball jackpot stepped forward to claim the prize Monday in South Carolina. He has strategically opted to remain anonymous.
The South Carolina Educational lottery reports that the new mystery millionaire is a native of Columbia, S.C. The winner informed lottery officials that he had made the ticket purchase at the Murphy Express, off I-20 west of Columbia, in Lexington S.C. last Wednesday. He had initially stopped to gas up his vehicle, and purchase hot dog buns at his wife’s request. The store didn’t even have what he needed, but the Powerball jackpot advertisement caught his attention. He purchased $20 worth of lottery tickets instead. The South Carolina lottery also stated that he didn’t check his tickets until the Thursday following the jackpot drawing.
ABC News reports that lottery officials won’t disclose whether the winner opted to structure the $399.4 million for a 30-year payout or if he opted for the estimated $233 million direct disbursement. Murphy’s Express, the store where the winning ticket was purchased, will also get a $50,000 bonus.
The winning numbers were 7, 10, 22, 32, 35 and Powerball number, 19. This jackpot was one for the record books, calculated as the fourth largest prize in lottery history.
Image via Powerball Lottery on Twitter
