Whenever discussions of playing the lottery come up, people are always quick to point out the odds of winning – 1 in 175,223,510 – a figure that Powerball winner Carlo Mitchell’s wife adamantly pointed out every time her husband played: “I would tell him once a week he’s wasting his money,” Erlinda Mitchell stated at their press-conference on Wednesday. “I’m glad he didn’t listen to me.”

Before winning the Powerball, Carlo Mitchell was a 68 year old Vietnam veteran and retired nuclear medical technician. After winning the Powerball, Mitchell is now a super rich 68 year old Vietnam veteran and retired nuclear medical technician. Despite the fact that they are now multi-millionaires, the Mitchells want things to remain the same: “Right now we live a simple lifestyle and we plan to keep living that lifestyle,” said Erlinda. Her husband reiterated their wishes: “We really have no plans of going any place else. This is home,” stated Carlo.

For the past two years, Carlo has played the lottery on a regular basis, spending $96 per month on three different tickets – Super Lotto, Mega Millions, and the Powerball. And he always buys his tickets at the same location – the Fast ‘N Easy store at Shields and Armstrong Avenues. Carlo was awaiting an X-ray examination at the hospital when he heard that a winning ticket had been purchased at his Fast ‘N Easy, but didn’t know whether or not he owned that ticket because it was not in his possession: “I had a pretty good suspicion, but I didn’t say anything… I just kept saying anything is possible.”

Carlo delivered the news to Erlinda while she received a furniture delivery in the front-yard: “I fainted, I blacked out right there on the new couch. I just couldn’t believe it,” Erlinda exclaimed. While it has since been discovered that Erlinda did not actually faint, Carlo reported that she owned a blank-stare “that lasted about 5 minutes.”

When presented with the option to take the winnings in one lump sum or payments over so many years, the Mitchells went with the one-time lump-sum of $123.4 million. With this inordinate amount of money, the Mitchells plan to donate to their church, take care of their children and grandchildren, and perhaps buy a vacation home or two.

Regardless of the fact that he has already defied all odds, Carlo Mitchell has no plans to quit playing the lottery: “Winning the lottery is more than just the money, it’s more about defying the odds…if I can set a new record, why not?”

Way to embrace that American, capitalist spirit Carlo.

[Image via Powerball]