SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — More than a month after buying the winning ticket in San Francisco, a 41-year-old man has finally come forward as the winner of a $70 million lotto ticket, the California Lottery said Wednesday.
Eurico Chin bought the ticket on a whim in late May at a Safeway in the Sunset District. "I thought to myself, 'why not?'" he said, according to a press release from the California Lottery. "I'm already here, might as well buy one," he reportedly said.
He purchased the winning SuperLotto Plus ticket, along with four others, at the Safeway at 2350 Noriega St. (Lottery officials did not give his city of residence, and said he wasn't interested in doing media interviews.)
Chin knew he was the winner, but waited to come forward because he was mulling over the possibilities for his loot.
"You have to plan carefully about what to do with the money," he said. In the meantime, Chin devised a strategy. He plans on investing most of the winnings and may buy a new house and car. He's also likely to retire, according to the press release.
From what occupation is unknown.
"I was watching the news and I saw that the winner was on Noriega (Street) and I remembered that I bought the ticket on Noriega," he said, according to a press release. "I thought to myself, 'Well, it might be me.'"
The winning numbers matched his ticket when he checked online.
"First I was in shock, I couldn't believe it. I checked the ticket several times to make sure that I won," he said.
Chin is still deciding between taking a one-time cash payment, which lottery officials estimated to be nearly $41 million before taxes or an annuity option that would score him the full winnings prior to taxes over the course of 30 years.
The Safeway store on Noriega will also receive $350,000 for selling the ticket.
The award is the largest SuperLotto Plus award since a $76 million ticket purchased in Shasta City in 2009.
SuperLotto Plus is an in-state lottery game. Players can purchase $1 tickets and pick five numbers from 1 to 47 and a Mega number between 1 to 27. The California Lottery holds drawings at its headquarters in Sacramento every Wednesday and Saturday.
I think I'll start buying my tix. on a whim also...ohh...wait I can't do that if I say it...can I ?
Congrats, sir!
Living in California where the weather is always nice and then winning the lottery is just too good to be true. Mr Chin is gonna have it easy for a long time, nice catch!
Congratulations! I read that he was unemployed. He's only 41-- I'd spend my time traveling the world.
Smart man taking his time. He should consider relocating to a different state unless he wants to pay 13.3% state income tax on his future investments and that doesn't even account for the 39.6% federal tax as well as the 3.8% medicare tax.
congratulations Mr. Chin. Can I be next please? I got my ticket for Saturday night's Powerball.
Rarely do you ever see the lottery officials not say which city the person is from....I'm shocked everyone doesn't opt out of that...does he just get permission to do so because he won 70mil? Just curious.....
Is it not 25% federal? + state ect.......
Congratulation Mr. Chin
Guess that win will keep his Chin up.....so to speak
Maybe it's an illegal collecting it.
$70 Million is a really big jackpot for the California SuperLotto. It only goes up about $1 million between drawings. I think it takes months to get that big, and it usually doesn't so Mr. Chin is indeed very lucky!
In California, they don't release our city of residence unless we give them permission to do so. It's not considered public records. However, they do release the city where the ticket was purchased. I assume the vast majority of tickets purchased are fairly close to where they live or work, so one can make an assumption that the winner probably lives or works nearby.
The bay area has been a hot spot for lottery winners. Some of the other big winners actually had their city disclosed by the press.
To the other poster who inquired about the 25% federal tax, that percentage is just for the initial withholding and depending on your filing status pretty much everything above $450k is taxed at 39.6%.
The press can be relentless. When Ira Curry shared the big Mega Millions jackpot in December, the press dug into her past via public records and reported that she filed Chapter 13 Bankruptcy in the 90's and completed her plan successfully. It was an AP reporter. I think that's a big BS. It had nothing to do with her winning last year, he just included it to add sensationalism to the piece.
The CA Lottery can't release that information without our consent though.
Congrats to Mr Chin.
nice hit, but hardly a noticeable blip of interest to those of you who only acknowledge a 200+ million jackpot or more. can't believe it took a month and he still hasn't decided on whether to buy a new car or house which would probably retain it's value or the interest he lost by waiting would have covered a car by now. he also can't decide whether or not to retire from a job he doesn't have. go cash the ticket for crying out loud. no one is interested in scamming him after he gets his 30+ million or more. chump change hit that flys under the radar these days. if you can't figure out how to avoid the pitfalls of winning that much, don't play.
He sounds smarter than the average player. Wonder if he takes the cash option instead of the annuity?
Interest he lost by waiting???
Have you check the interest rates lately?
If I ever win a jackpot, I would be very tempted to park all the cash in a fireproof safe rather than let a bank or stranger handle it. Interest rates are nothing these days, and if you don't have the money (or anything for that matter) in your possession, you really don't have control of it.
Seeing that Mr Chin won- l guess it's pointless for me to check my tickets.
Enjoy your * hopeful Retirement Mr C.
you wouldn't be worried about someone coming in and taking your "unsafe" safe by force. word would get out and you would be lucky to have it for a week at most before they come. there are ways to invest money and get a return although trusting people is risky, far safer than your "fireproof safe plan.
Didn't say where that safe would be. Or where I would be living. Wouldn't be where I live now. Safe wouldn't be where I live.
OPSEC.
Such a lucky fortunate man. Hope he enjoys his winnings!!!
I believe I'd rather play Russian Roulette than break into the average Texas home; the odds would be better against getting shot. Who is going to announce to the world that they have thousands of dollars in a safe in their house? Not me and I'm sure rcb wouldn't either. So called "safe" investments these days have a rate of return less than annual inflation...and I'm not so sure they're that safe. I'd still invest in stocks, CDs, etc. but I'd also invest in other things, too, things that would be worth more than cash if times really got hard/dangerous. I'm no survivalist/prepper, not a doom 'n gloom kind of person, but I AM more than a little pessimistic that things will get better anytime soon. If the SHTF, I'd rather have a case of beans than a dozen gold bars. (and that would be one of my "investments", some freeze dried foods. If I didn't need it or have eaten it by the close date of expiration, I'd donate it to a food bank/charity, buy more to replace it)
This is the same argument that went on several months ago and I was surprised then at the disdain people had for those of us who were for keeping some "liquid assets". (maybe they live in Detroit, so that's understandable) Whatever YOU want to do with your winnings is fine by me, but if you don't feel the same way about what I would do, well then....too bad. Personally, I'd have a safe and would keep at least a year or two's worth of living expenses in cash and whatever other valuables I had in it. MY safe would be big, heavy and bolted down...and hidden. I'd have another safe more easily found, with a few thousand dollars in it as a decoy/sop. I'd gladly hand it over along with the key/combination if someone did happen to break in and catch me unaware...to do that, though, they'd have had to get past the dog, my alarm(s), bolted doors and windows and whatever caliber pistol was on my night table.
Amen mikeintexas.
I love hearing stories like this!Congrats R N Order!He was so smart to take his time and plan his strategy before coming forward.That is exactly what I would do.
I always like to see the pic of the life changing lottery ticket.
F that guy
Congrats to the lucky guy