San Francisco cab driver claims $1.9M Mega Millions lottery prize

Mar 22, 2014, 8:54 am (17 comments)

Mega Millions

SAN FRANCISCO — A San Francisco, California, taxi driver won $1.9 million in the multi-state Mega Millions game Tuesday.

Mahendra KC, a 50-year-old immigrant from Nepal, bought the Mega Million Quick Pick ticket from Huntington Liquor in San Bruno for a dollar, lottery officials said Thursday.

The ticket matched five of the six numbers — 11, 19, 24, 33, and 51 — in Tuesday night's draw for a $414 million jackpot.

One additional number would have allow KC to split the full jackpot with two other winners in Florida and Maryland, officials said.

For all other states, matching 5 numbers would win a fixed $1 million prize, but in California all prizes are awarded on a pari-mutuel basis.  That is, the prize amount is determined by the number of tickets sold and the number of prize winners in each prize category.  Because KC was the only 5-number winner in California Tuesday, he took the entire prize pool reserved for second place in California.

KC showed up early at the lottery's South San Francisco office Wednesday morning to claim his prize.

KC's son Niranjan told lottery officials that his family planned to use the winnings to try to get organ transplants for their grandparents and treat his father's chronic heart problems, as well as to pay off school loans.

"It's just a life-changing situation here," said KC's daughter Chandani, who helped translate for him. "Now whatever dreams we had all together as a family, they're going to be true."

News story photo(Click to display full-size in gallery)

CBS, Lottery Post Staff

Comments

mypiemaster's avatarmypiemaster

Cali is doing it again. Congrats.

Goteki54's avatarGoteki54

I would like to know how much he's gong to get fleeced in taxes on that $1.9 espeically in California.

four4me

Quote: Originally posted by Goteki54 on Mar 22, 2014

I would like to know how much he's gong to get fleeced in taxes on that $1.9 espeically in California.

no state tax only fed 35% = 665,000

LottoBux's avatarLottoBux

Congratulations KC.

All It Takes Is A Dollar And A Dream.

Shelby Mustang

Quote: Originally posted by Goteki54 on Mar 22, 2014

I would like to know how much he's gong to get fleeced in taxes on that $1.9 espeically in California.

LOL what ever it is it's way more than he made as a freakin cab driver last year

Gleno's avatarGleno

Congratualtions to another winner in 2014.

Remember  the Power Ball game  for tonight 3/22/14 is now $96M. 

Don't forget to buy your Power Ball Game tickets today. 

Good Luck Players,

 

Coffee

Marilyn222's avatarMarilyn222

Quote: Originally posted by Gleno on Mar 22, 2014

Congratualtions to another winner in 2014.

Remember  the Power Ball game  for tonight 3/22/14 is now $96M. 

Don't forget to buy your Power Ball Game tickets today. 

Good Luck Players,

 

Coffee

I already bought my ticketEvil Smile

RJOh's avatarRJOh

Quote: Originally posted by LottoBux on Mar 22, 2014

Congratulations KC.

All It Takes Is A Dollar And A Dream.

I spent the dollar but I never dream I would win, that must be where I'm coming up short.

lord voldermort

congrats to KC. Drum     Party

IPlayWeekly's avatarIPlayWeekly

Good for him and his family

schmuckatelly's avatarschmuckatelly

Well if he wants to keep his job, he could start him a limo service now and more money

helpmewin's avatarhelpmewin

Quote: Originally posted by mypiemaster on Mar 22, 2014

Cali is doing it again. Congrats.

I Agree! Congrats to the WINNER Party

helpmewin's avatarhelpmewin

Quote: Originally posted by RJOh on Mar 22, 2014

I spent the dollar but I never dream I would win, that must be where I'm coming up short.

Green laugh

sully16's avatarsully16

Congrats to the lucky guy

mightwin's avatarmightwin

With pari-mutuel looks like ya win some and lose some, luckily I'd say he won twice with no other winners in cali. Congrats

rdgrnr's avatarrdgrnr

I wonder if Mahendra KC is related to Louis CK?

HaveABall's avatarHaveABall

Congratulations on the tidy 2nd prize Powerball win! 

Organ transplants for BOTH grandparents, and heart operation for the children's father [jackpot winner]?  Wow, is their whole family super ill; because these three very ill people might use up all of these lottery winnings within one year?

Sad Wavey

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