Record Powerball lottery won by one Nebraskan

Feb 20, 2006, 6:35 am (63 comments)

Powerball

Someone, somewhere in Nebraska held the only winning ticket for the record $365 million Powerball jackpot, but likely wasn't in a rush to come forward, lottery officials said Sunday.

The only ticket matching the winning numbers drawn Saturday night for the multistate lottery was sold at a a U-Stop convenience store in Lincoln, Nebraska Lottery spokesman Brian Rockey said.

It was the biggest jackpot on record for any lottery in the United States.

No one had come forward to claim the jackpot Sunday, Rockey said.

"We don't know if the winner knows yet," he said.

Even when the lucky individual or group realizes it, they might not leap into the public eye.

"We have found ... that they tend to wait until they have sought legal counsel or financial counsel," Jim Haynes, acting director of the Nebraska Lottery, said of large jackpot winners.

Whoever it is, U-Stop store clerk Stacey Carey has a message for them.

"If I sold the ticket to 'em I hope they'd share in the winnings - at least, even one-tenth of a percent would suit me just fine," Carey told AP Radio in a telephone interview.

Lottery officials planned to go to the store Sunday to verify the sale, Rockey said.

The store was swarmed with reporters and customers Sunday, said owner Mick Mandl.

"Everybody wants to talk to us," he said. "They're excited."

Store video tape indicates the ticket was sold at 3:09 p.m. Friday, Feb. 18, 2006, to one of two unidentified males.

The winning numbers drawn Saturday were 15, 17, 43, 44 and 48, with a Powerball number of 29, according to the Multi-State Lottery Association of Des Moines, Iowa, which runs the game for the participating states.

The ticket holder has the option of taking the money in one lump sum or installments over 30 years. The cash option is $177.8 million, or $124.46 million after taxes. On the installment plan, the first payment would be $6,507,986 after taxes.

The previous U.S. lottery jackpot record was $363 million for the Big Game, the forerunner of Mega Millions. That was won by two ticket holders in Illinois and Michigan in 2000. Powerball's previous record jackpot, $340 million, was won by an Oregon family in October.

Powerball is played in 28 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Kelly Bowen, operations manager at the U-Stop at First and West O streets in Lincoln, Neb., points to the confirmation message from the Nebraska Lottery Sunday, Feb. 19, 2006, that the winning Powerball ticket was indeed sold at their store.
Kelly Bowen, operations manager at the U-Stop at First and West O streets in Lincoln, Neb., points to the confirmation message from the Nebraska Lottery Sunday, Feb. 19, 2006, that the winning Powerball ticket was indeed sold at their store.

AP

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Chewie

I'm thinking Marlan Brando right about now.

LOTTOMIKE's avatarLOTTOMIKE

i have a better chance of playing a touch football game with elvis than i do of winning the powerball jackpot......

spy153's avatarspy153

I dont know lottomike, I've seen your numbers come close some times.

can you believe the winner bought a stupid qp?

spy153's avatarspy153

well, If I EVER buy a qp again, it will be on friday. at 3:09pm
Wink

LOTTOMIKE's avatarLOTTOMIKE

yeah those quick picks seem to be the way to go.me i'll still always pick my own numbers.......

DoubleDown

As I have said many times, the winner is always the guy that buys a six pack and takes the few bills in change and says "what the heck, gimme a few quick picks on that big lottery thing game, etc..."

DD

Uncle Jim

Good grief!  Look at the time on that ticket.  (Well one of them any way.)  7:02 AM!  One things for sure...the Nebraska Lottery sure didn't waste any time validating that sale.

OK...now for the not so fun stuff: Someone is looking at video tape from the store trying to figure out who bought the ticket?   Who?  The Nebraska Lottery?  Why?  They already know the ticket was bought there.  The Convenience Store people?  Why?  So they can mooch money from the winners?  The Press?  Why?  So they can hunt this person down, publish his name and picture before he comes forward?  God I hope not!  That is soooooooooo wrong!

Lottomike is absolutely correct on this one.  Someone will eventually win, but one thing we should all learn from this run is that with the new matrix the odds are beyond astronimical.  Twice now we've had record jackpots and both times we've had only one winner.  I think you've got a better chance of scoring a touchdown in that touch football game with Elvis than actually winning the Powerball jackpot.

Jim 

nelliemw

wow!!!!what a very lucky person(s) to defy all those odds.all i can say is CONGRATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Smile

Chewie

i have a better chance of playing a touch football game with elvis than i do of winning the powerball jackpot......

I donno guy.  A case of Twinkies might make your dream come true.

DoubleDown

Good grief!  Look at the time on that ticket.  (Well one of them any way.)  7:02 AM!  One things for sure...the Nebraska Lottery sure didn't waste any time validating that sale.

OK...now for the not so fun stuff: Someone is looking at video tape from the store trying to figure out who bought the ticket?   Who?  The Nebraska Lottery?  Why?  They already know the ticket was bought there.  The Convenience Store people?  Why?  So they can mooch money from the winners?  The Press?  Why?  So they can hunt this person down, publish his name and picture before he comes forward?  God I hope not!  That is soooooooooo wrong!

Lottomike is absolutely correct on this one.  Someone will eventually win, but one thing we should all learn from this run is that with the new matrix the odds are beyond astronimical.  Twice now we've had record jackpots and both times we've had only one winner.  I think you've got a better chance of scoring a touchdown in that touch football game with Elvis than actually winning the Powerball jackpot.

Jim 

I agree Jim.

They know WAY TOO MUCH !!!!!

 

tntea's avatartntea

Cheers  Here is to the newest winner.. Congrats...  I for one is very happy for you.  To be the one and only to receive the dreams millions had last week is Fantastic...

 

I think it is so funny for the seller of the ticket to suspect something from the winner.. lol  We kid around while selling PB tickets.. customers promising us this or that if they hit..  They owe us nothing.. They gave us the dollar it took to play the string of numbers..  We sure do not owe them anything for the loser tickets that were sold...

 

 

mylollipop's avatarmylollipop

Cheers  Here is to the newest winner.. Congrats...  I for one is very happy for you.  To be the one and only to receive the dreams millions had last week is Fantastic...

 

I think it is so funny for the seller of the ticket to suspect something from the winner.. lol  We kid around while selling PB tickets.. customers promising us this or that if they hit..  They owe us nothing.. They gave us the dollar it took to play the string of numbers..  We sure do not owe them anything for the loser tickets that were sold...

 

 

I Agree!.  The gall of that employee!  They'd be on the unemployment line if I owned the store!  The store gets a bonus.  Now an employee daring to think they are entitled to get any share of the win because they were doing the job they were paid to do!!??  Pluuuhhhheeeaaassee!Mad. Cornhuskers must have nothing left but a cob of an employee.

Congrats to the winner, though.  They're probably getting their affairs in order.  Just hope the winners were a needy family!Big Smile

DoubleDown

Cheers  Here is to the newest winner.. Congrats...  I for one is very happy for you.  To be the one and only to receive the dreams millions had last week is Fantastic...

 

I think it is so funny for the seller of the ticket to suspect something from the winner.. lol  We kid around while selling PB tickets.. customers promising us this or that if they hit..  They owe us nothing.. They gave us the dollar it took to play the string of numbers..  We sure do not owe them anything for the loser tickets that were sold...

 

 

Excellent Point about the people "expecting" something.

Unfortunately, your sentiments are not shared by most.....

 

Where I buy my tickets, I always give the cashiers a tip when applicable.They are nice to me , unlike some places where they act like it is a bother to process lottery requests.

If I hit a scratcher for $50, the cashier usually gets a $5 or a $10 if they help me with my selection.

DD

 

tntea's avatartntea

I have customers who tip well.  If I am on the lotto line for the majority of the shift, I can lead customers to the rolls that are due to hit..  (That is if there wasn't a huge amount of take home tickets)  I dont scratch on the job,  (it wouldn't be fair) since I know when a roll is about to hit.. If I lead a customer to a  $500 winner and they don't tip.. it is frustrating.. However, when I see a tipper in the store, I reserve my observation for them when they come up in line.. lol

 

 

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