The U.S. Powerball jackpot leaped to at least $645 million on March 21, ahead of its second drawing after no one claimed the winning numbers announced on Wednesday, when the cash prize was at $550 million, according to lottery officials.
The jackpot, which surpassed the $600 million mark for the fourth time in history, has an estimated cash value of $380.6 million, officials said. The next drawing was scheduled for Saturday, March 23.
“A lot like the flowers in the southwest, this $625 million Powerball jackpot is a spectacular super bloom,” David Barden, Powerball Product Group Chairman, said in the statement. “It does not happen often–and when it does, everyone wants to be a part of it.”
U.S. Powerball jackpot soars to $625 million ahead of Saturday’s drawing #US | #RTGNews
— RTGNews (@RTGBreaking) March 21, 2019
The latest increase comes more than two weeks after an anonymous sole winner of a $1.5 billion U.S. Mega Millions drawing last fall claimed the jackpot, according to South Carolina’s lottery commission.
Lottery players in the United States were in a frenzy ahead of October’s drawing, forming long lines outside of ticket-sellers. In the four days leading up to the drawing, about 370 million of the $2 Mega Millions tickets were sold in 44 U.S. states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The winner only referred to as a “South Carolinian,” collected a record one-time cash sum of more than $877 million.
The largest jackpot in U.S. history, or $1.585 billion, was won in January 2016, but it was divided among winners in three states.
“We are delighted that the winner is a South Carolinian and has come forward to claim this remarkable prize,” said Hogan Brown, who is the commission’s executive director, AP reported. “We respect the winner’s decision to remain anonymous, and we will honor the winner’s wishes.”
According to Reuters, the winning Quick Pick Mega Millions ticket was sold at a KC Mart in Simpsonville.
Officials said the winner had allowed a person to jump out ahead of them in line before they bought the winning ticket.
“A simple act of kindness led to an amazing outcome,” the commission said in a statement.
The odds of winning the jackpot were 1 in 303 million.
The KC Mart in Simpsonville will get a $50,000 prize for selling the lucky ticket, and the state of South Carolina will collect about $61 million in income taxes from the winner, Reuters reported.
“It’s exciting. Good for me, good for him, her, whoever it is,” said Chirag Patel, owner of the store, AP reported. Patel said he will pay for store renovations with the cash.
When asked why he thinks the winner took so long to come forward, he said, “That’s a lot of money to manage.”
The winner retained a New York-based lawyer, Jason Kurland, who often represents lottery winners.
How ‘a simple act of kindness’ led one lucky person to win the $1.5 billion lotto https://t.co/3JhYGIr9Su
— The State Newspaper (@thestate) March 5, 2019
The person who won also had until mid-April to claim the prize.
“I’m glad the money stays in South Carolina. Obviously, South Carolina will reap the benefits of that,” House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Murrell Smith was quoted by AP as saying.
Other officials issued statements about the win.
CAN YOU IMAGINE NOT FINDING OUT … until it is too late to collect?
由 Tara Servatius 发布于 2018年11月28日周三
“We are delighted that the winner is a South Carolinian and has come forward to claim this remarkable prize,” SC lotto commission executive director Hogan Brown said, according to The State newspaper.
“We offer sincere congratulations and are very happy that one of our South Carolina retailers, KC Mart in Simpsonville, will receive $50,000 for selling the claimed winning ticket,” Brown said. “The State of South Carolina will benefit from $61 million that will be collected in income taxes from the winner. We respect the winner’s decision to remain anonymous, and we will honor the winner’s wishes.”
Epoch Times reporter Jack Phillips contributed to this report.
