Rhode Island woman, 81, claims $336 Million Powerball jackpot

Mar 6, 2012, 12:51 pm (118 comments)

Powerball

Includes video report

Louise White, a "vivacious" 81-year-old of Newport, R.I., stepped forward today as the winner of $336.4 million, the third largest Powerball lottery in the history of the game.

"I want to say that I'm very happy and I'm very proud. This will make my family very happy," she said. "We are truly blessed. Thank you."

White took her bonanza calmly, speaking briefly and then leaving the crowded news conference for her new team of attorneys to handle.

One of her attorneys, Jason Kurland, called her "vivacious as any octogenarian."

The funds will go to the Rainbow Sherbert Trust, named after the dessert that she purchased last month while buying the lottery ticket. A family member had a craving for that flavor which led her to go to the store.

A family spokesman said the winning ticket was kept in White's Bible -- which she then slept with -- until she could get to a bank and put it in a safe deposit box.

White chose to accept the lump sum payment of $210 million, rather than the 30 annuity payments paid out over 29 years. White will pay about $52.5 million in federal taxes and $14.7 million in state taxes.

White said in a statement that was handed out at the news conference that she was waiting that Saturday, Feb. 11, with a grocery list for someone to take her to the store. In her list was a Powerball ticket in time for the evening's drawing. She said she the person who was supposed to take her that morning "was working all day at home and couldn't get away."

"Then around [7 p.m.] a family member wanted some rainbow sherbert to eat later, so they decided to go to the Stop N Shop," White wrote in a statement.

"I had just finished making a sandwich and was asked if I wanted anything at the store and I said emphatically, 'I can't believe you asked me if I want you to get me something. NO, I don't want you to get me something,'" she wrote in the statement, "I want to go with you!"

After buying the tickets, White said she was at home later that evening listening to the news "while the family enjoyed the rainbow sherbert."

She listened to news and copied down the winning numbers, but didn't check her tickets until later. When she realized she had the matching numbers, she yelled, "Is anybody awake? I want you to come look at something."

She said she and her family were in disbelief, checking the lottery website, then re-starting the computer and checking it again.

"We hugged each other and jumped up and down screaming!!," she wrote. "Then I was told to 'Sign it quick!!'"

"We're excited, very blessed and will determine in the coming months how we'll spend the money, but we know we'll always have rainbow sherbert," she wrote.

The sherbert and the ticket was sold from Stop & Shop at 250 Bellevue Ave. in Newport, R.I. for $3, among the three quickpick tickets she bought.

A spokeswoman for Stop & Shop had said before today's announcement that White's family are "frequent" and "valued" customers at the store.

"We're very pleased to be part of the history," Suzi Robinson said before the announcement.

Robinson said White's son, LeRoy White, 63, of Newport is "well known in the community." LeRoy White, a musician, lives about a mile away from the grocery store. Her attorneys said she was from Newport though public records show she at one time lived in the town of Middletown, about five miles away.

In Louise White's Facebook profile page, she lists Verizon Wireless under the "Employers" category.

Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chaffee was present for the historic win and praised for waiting to claim her prize and getting professional help as well. "You were lucky and smart," Chaffee said.

The jackpot win is the first since the newly revamped $2 version of the PowerBall game debuted Jan. 15, according to lottery officials.

While the chances of winning the lottery are slim, there are ways to increase your chances, says Richard Lustig, a seven time lottery winner in Florida who has earned more than $1 million.

In "Learn How to Increase Your Chances of Winning the Lottery," Lustig shares the strategy he calls "the winning lottery method."

"[Playing the lotto is] like any investment. You have to invest money to get something out of it," says Lustig, 59, a former singer and drummer from Florida.

"Most people buy a $1 ticket and win $10 and they put the $10 in their pocket," says Lustig. Those people are playing the game wrong. Instead, he says, if you win $10, then you should buy $11 worth of tickets because "if you lose, you only lost a $1."

The process earned him $98,000 after he played the Fantasy 5 game in Florida. The first prize he took home was in 1992, for $10,000.

"I use lottery money all the time to buy more tickets," Lustig said in 2010.

His biggest prize was more than $842,000 in 2002.

ABC News

Comments

fwlawrence's avatarfwlawrence

Hopefully the money will last her the rest of her life.

rad242

81???

Is this how long I have to wait for my ship to come in?

Carl8080

Yup. The jackpots are always won by senior citizens or rich people, of course you have leave Mr. Duke out of the equation.

 

Why Seniors always win? because they are the majority that play the freaking games.

rad242

Quote: Originally posted by Carl8080 on Mar 6, 2012

Yup. The jackpots are always won by senior citizens or rich people, of course you have leave Mr. Duke out of the equation.

 

Why Seniors always win? because they are the majority that play the freaking games.

To avoid AGE DISCRIMINATION, I refer to them as the BINGO POPULATION - lol

c*aramel

When you look at this winner's pleasant face and loving attitude you just know it was time for her ship to come in.  She at 81 was still concerned about making her family happy. Making sure they had the rainbow sherbet. That is so sweet.  Now she will make them happy for the rest of their lives even after her death. I know a lady just like her. It gives us all hope.

NightStalker's avatarNightStalker

Congratulations to the lucky winner and her family!! Party

kyokushin187's avatarkyokushin187

Quote: Originally posted by Carl8080 on Mar 6, 2012

Yup. The jackpots are always won by senior citizens or rich people, of course you have leave Mr. Duke out of the equation.

 

Why Seniors always win? because they are the majority that play the freaking games.

I can't say that I agree with you. was at my local dairy mart this morning to buy some tickets when I noticed a guy about 45 or so playing scratches.here is the kicker, he was sitting near the counter just buying ticket after ticket.he would scratch one,let the cashier check it and then buy another one.this guy purchased the entire roll (500.00)and only won 200.00. I have noticed quite a few people who do this.they just hang out at the store and buy and and scratch tickets. to me it seems like a waist of money but who am I to judge.

rad242

Quote: Originally posted by kyokushin187 on Mar 6, 2012

I can't say that I agree with you. was at my local dairy mart this morning to buy some tickets when I noticed a guy about 45 or so playing scratches.here is the kicker, he was sitting near the counter just buying ticket after ticket.he would scratch one,let the cashier check it and then buy another one.this guy purchased the entire roll (500.00)and only won 200.00. I have noticed quite a few people who do this.they just hang out at the store and buy and and scratch tickets. to me it seems like a waist of money but who am I to judge.

I agree the winning the lottery is a long term strategy. I don't play scratch off games so I imagine people have different ideas around how to win those.

Piaceri

I don't care how old she is... congrats to the winner and her family, The Rainbow Sherberts! Woot!  PartyGuitarWhite BounceBananaHurray!

hearsetrax's avatarhearsetrax

Quote: Originally posted by Piaceri on Mar 6, 2012

I don't care how old she is... congrats to the winner and her family, The Rainbow Sherberts! Woot!  PartyGuitarWhite BounceBananaHurray!

I Agree!

 

Cheers  I hope she lives a long & fun filled life .......... Party

Arrowhead's avatarArrowhead

Quote: Originally posted by Piaceri on Mar 6, 2012

I don't care how old she is... congrats to the winner and her family, The Rainbow Sherberts! Woot!  PartyGuitarWhite BounceBananaHurray!

Could not agree more. And the thought that 'most' of high-jackpot lotto winners are 'old or rich' is phoney-baloney anyway...

kandi49's avatarkandi49

to the white family i'm happy for you'll winning and to louise white god really smile down on you  it's your time to enjoy lifeBlue Angelit is truly a blessing i can't wait until my time so i can a blessing to my family to Yes Nod

sandia's avatarsandia

 Congratulations, young lady (she could be my grandmother, give or take.... she had them young lol). May her loved ones, benefit nicely from this sudden gift. Go Granny, Go Granny, Go!

  Ahem, not to resurrect a mute arguement here BUT where  in the world is the lovely LP player who had a few slew words about the demograhic of players who ALWAYS win the lottery? Something about a particular race grabbing it, he said. Funny, the bloody antagonist is nowhere to be found! UNBELIEVABLE!

  Congratulations Ms. White, enjoy your glowing octogenerian life, you rock!Hurray!Hurray!Hurray!PartyPartyPartyDanceDanceDanceWhite BounceWhite BounceWhite Bounce

cgraphix1's avatarcgraphix1

I can't help but remember that guy who was on this board ranting about how it couldn't be a black person who won, and how the lottery was discriminatory because people of color never win it... What do you have to say now?!?

Subscribe to this news story