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.
Hopefully the money will last her the rest of her life.
81???
Is this how long I have to wait for my ship to come in?
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
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.
Congratulations to the lucky winner and her family!!
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.
I don't care how old she is... congrats to the winner and her family, The Rainbow Sherberts! Woot!
I hope she lives a long & fun filled life ..........
Could not agree more. And the thought that 'most' of high-jackpot lotto winners are 'old or rich' is phoney-baloney anyway...
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 lifeit is truly a blessing i can't wait until my time so i can a blessing to my family to
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!
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?!?
Lol, I barely beat you to the post, my sentiments exactly. WHERE IS HE?!
Please be advised my client will not be responding to any questions from the press - lol!
Congrats to Mrs. White and her family!!!!!!
If ranting about people of "color" not winning and then someone of "color" winning i want to rant about people in small towns of 500 to 600 people never win, maybe now i can win lol!
Mr. rad242,
Is Ms. White by any chance, adopting? LOL!
I can't stop wishing the lady well, won or earned, she has begun building a financial legacy. May she watch over her loved ones for many years to come.
The lotto gods, might just grant you your wish, you never know!
Sorry for any misunderstandings sir. My firm represents the DOUCHE BAG that engaged in an extended debate on conspiracy theory # 967 - People of Color never win.
I can only dream of such an amazing gift. I bought my ticket for the Mega Millions drawing tonight then out of the blue yesterday my husband tells me to go buy a ticket because his palm was itching like crazy, then 2 minutes after i bought the ticket it stoppped itching. Maybe it was a sign lol
It is Mrs and, I quite understand you sir. I just really want to slam it in the antagonist's face. He caused such a commotion here, even Africa-Americans like me, could NOT believe what we were reading from his rant filled posts!
Hey, you never know. That might be a very good itch!
Congratulations to Mrs. White & family.
Congrats to Mrs. White........
Congrats on your big win and I hope you enjoy that sherbet. I like orange myself!-weshar75
LOL... I was thinking the same thing cgraphix1 his name is hawkey90 he's probably hiding under a rock right now...he will proabably have a problem with her last name being White...
HA HA HA, dallas, you might be right! By jove, you might be right!
"......her last name being White..."
Oh my, I spit my water out , when I read that!
The winner seems like a lovely woman. Such people often raise wonderful families too. What a precious multi-generation blessing for them all. Best of luck to the winner and her entire family!
Todd, I am sure if she ever encountered you in a coffee shop, she will love to have a chat with you about determination and the will power behind such a gift.
May we all wish her well.
she's beautiful, i think i want to marry her. <snip> the age difference, love knows no boundries.
LOL...rad242... i'm sure your client is hiding under a rock.....
I am so happy for her. Congratulations Louise. Now go have a blast with your money.
i gotta say one word WTF
Because the lottery is FIXED thats why
I thought he would never shut up.
Mrs White should do a reality show and let Oxygen Network find her soul mate.
Can you imagine the nuts that would come out of the woodwork declaring their undying love? lol.
Network televsion never ceases to amaze me!
That don't look like no rich white guy to me !
So much for the whining aobut that subject! Congrats to the nice lady! I'd be takin' my sweet time moseying about the house at the lake if it were me ........... Baby Boomers Rule ...........
Let's go Mega Millions ............... Pennsylvania needs our first big winner!
LOL sandia, you so crazy. I have been hanging around ridge too long he normally post comments that make me either pee my pants or spite my water out.
I quit playing the stupid game when the price was jacked up to $2 a ticket. Makes no sense for 1 person to win that much money..Would rather see more winners with smaller jackpots BUT of course the Government and State would not profit as much as they do...dumb dumb dumb. Oh and now you win $4 for the PB number but it costs you $1 more..go figure!!!
why mention Richard Lustig in thise article at all? He has never won Florida Lotto, or Powerball. One day he was giving out Mega Millions #'s in GMA which were totally bogus
Congrats Mrs. White, enjoy !
Has to be a joke. The young family members are going to be able to enjoy it, not tweety bird's grandmother.
Ahhh, I'm happy for her. I have to admit, I was not expecting an 81 year old black woman to be the winner from Newport, Rhode Island. Goes to show you, that YOU NEVER KNOW. Rhode Island is one of my most favorite places to beach. Some of the cleanest beaches in the country. Congratulations Miss. White...Spend Freely and Responsibly!
Congratulations to this jackpot winning ticket.
Congrats to the Granny. I'm so happy she has won, she deserved that Jackpot; it was put in the right hands.
Now Sandia, I was thinking the same thing! Where is that poster who kept ranting demographics? Funny how some people are full of monkey feces lol.
When I first learned the winner was from RI, I was a bit miffed. Why? When I had first received my commission in the Navy, I attended a school in Newport, RI for 6 months before reporting to my first ship out in San Diego. The landlord of the building we lived in kept the $750 security deposit of my 3 roommates and I because he knew it would have cost us more to come back and fight him in small claims court. So I have no love for RI. But I am happy for this lady and her family as I know not all Rhode Islanders are swindlers like that Ferrari driving Italian landlord on Mills St. I hope he is reading this....no I haven't forgotten though I have moved on. If I hadn't moved on, I surely would have driven my 18 wheeler by there a few years ago!
Congratulations to Mrs. White and her entire family.
Very smart woman, others could benefit from her Intelligence...!
So where are all those idiots who said the lottery was rigged for rich white people ? Got nothing to say now do ya?
Congrats to her and her family, Hopefully they are smart with the money.
This story is my favorite lottery story of all time (next to the West Virginia guys with 7 tickets). Rainbow Sherbert Trust....that is too cute. I hope she lives to be 105 at least. She deserves it.
I decided to name my future trust the orange sherbert trust.
They are in Canada hiding in their hooses, eh!
Congratulations to the new multi-millionaire.
Congrats Ms. White! I hope that you can enjoy your wealth for another 20 years!
Hey Hawkeye....If you are out there any comments? She looks African American to me. Proof that the lottery is not rigged and truly random.
Hawkeye is hiding in the Hoose and won't come oat! EH!
Congrats, no matter who she is!
Oh ....... and while we are at it ............. if you think that this is too much money for one person .......... you are stuck in Grammar School!
i just wondering, how's she gonna enjoy her at 81 y.
spend it all one night!!!
The pot o' gold was certainly at the end of the rainbow or Mz. White. LOL....I love that an old black woman named Mz. White from of all places RI won....geeze too many contradictory things too mention. ENJOY!!!
congratz and best of luck. cant wait to buy her book on how the lottery changed her life.