The Powerball winner who purchased the magic ticket in Iowa has yet to step forward and claim their prize, according to ABC News. Iowa lottery officials have offered up the following advice to the individual who is literally on the cusp of becoming a multi-millionaire: keep the ticket in a very safe place and consult a financial advisor before attempting to cash in. Considering the prize amounts to a cool $241 million, I’d say this is probably sound advice.
Wednesday’s lottery is the 15th-highest payout in Powerball history. The winner can choose to either have the money in one enormous lump sum to the tune of $160 million before taxes or, alternatively, receive 30 payments over 30 years that will ultimately give them the full amount. Again, before taxes, of course. Uncle Sam is a winner, too.
“This truly is a life-changing amount of money and we want our winners to have the information they’ll need as they make their decisions,” Iowa Lottery CEO Terry Rich explained. “Whoever has the winning ticket should sign it immediately if they haven’t already done so for safe keeping.”
The winning numbers — which were 7, 10, 14, 33, 57 and Powerball 18, in case you were wondering — were reportedly purchased at a Hy-Vee store in Cedar Rapids. So, in short, if you purchased a ticket using those numbers at a Hy-Vee store in Cedar Rapids, by all means, keep the ticket in a safe place and immediately consult a financial advisor. Unless, of course, you have an aversion to becoming an instant millionaire. If that’s the case, I’m sure someone out there will be willing to relieve you of this awesome burden.
This marks the seventh winning ticket issued in Iowa.