Group of 20 Costco workers will share massive prize
By Todd Northrop
A group of Costco employees were very happy Thursday morning — and very rich.
After 10 consecutive drawings passed with no top-prize winner, the multi-state Powerball jackpot stood at $200 million Wednesday evening. The winning numbers drawn were 8, 18, 38, 46 and 56, with Powerball number 31 and Power Play number 4.
One ticket sold at Maulik & Chandni stationery store at 496 W. Montauk Hwy. in Lindenhurst, Long Island, matched all five numbers plus the Powerball to win the entire pot.
After all the proceeds were counted, the final jackpot number stood at $201.9 million. The cash value of that prize was not immediately available Thursday.
According to local newspaper Newsday, the winners of the jackpot are a group of 20 employees, all of whom work at the Costco store on Route 110 in Melville, Long Island. The winning ticket is said to be a Quick Pick.
A news conference was originally planned for Thursday morning at the Costco store, but was later cancelled because all of the winning employees would not be able to attend.
One employee who was not in the winning pool, Marisol Taveras of Copiague, said she had spoken to one of the winners. "She said she is going to keep working," Taveras said. "Everything is still the same."
A Costco shopper at the store Thursday morning commented, "It's good for them. I wish I was in it myself." The shopper, identified as Mario Aves of Bay Shore, said he doubts if he'd work if he'd won. "I think if it was me, I'd just pack it in."
In addition to the jackpot winners from New York, 11 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $200,000 prize: 2 from Connecticut, 1 from Delaware, 2 from New Jersey, 2 from New York, 1 from North Carolina, 1 from Ohio, 1 from Tennessee, and 1 from Washington.
The North Carolina ticket, as well as one of the tickets sold in Connecticut, were purchased with the Power Play option, upgrading their prizes to $1 million each. Power Play costs an extra $1 per ticket.
The new jackpot for Saturday's Powerball drawing is $20 million.
For people playing online, the Power Play option is available for the first time Saturday.
The winning numbers for Powerball are published minutes after each drawing at USA Mega. Drawings are Wednesdays and Saturdays at 10:59 pm Eastern Time.
Congrats to all the winners, Enjoy.
Congratulations winners! WTG all!
Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
E-N-J-O-Y!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I wish them great success in their winnings. However, Im always saddened by people wether a group or individual, who jump out there within hours or days after a life changing event. It only brings added stress and tensions not only to their lives and their loved ones. This is the time to gather in private with family, advisors and devise a new life.
You know del, I agree with you without discord, however, 2 things you have to understand:
1. Human excitement (trust me, the brain and senses take a french leave in some cases)
2. The urge to shout to the world "I'm rich, I'm free and my boss can stuff his job where the sun does not shine!"
Either of those sound familiar to you?
I run a pool at my work, and one of the guys there always tells me if we win he is out of there in a second.
I would wait til we got all our ducks in a row before I left.
The only time I think its smart to come forward is when its a big pool. Get the facts out as quick as possible before other so called "co workers" decide to lawyer up and say they were part of it.
Very smart planning on your part rcbbuckeye however, NEVER understimate the power of human emotions. Say for example, you had a terrible day at work say on a Wednesday Afternoon, you went home, checked your ticket that night and found out you won, let's say.....$319,000,000.
I can tell you with full conviction that you would love to deliver the good/bad news (depends on who the recipient of the said news is), in person, via a loudspeaker, in a ferrari (make sure you have your lawyer present).
But that is just my view of the human psyche, nothing bad really, just human nature.
GYM, you are the second coming of Darwin, smart response!
Congratulations, this $201.9 Million advertised annuity amount is a tidy prize for each of the 20 lottery pool players! Sure is a very large lottery pool! After the 49% annuity to lump sum value, AND another 44% fed and state tax deductions, should leave each of the 20 lottery pool members with approximately $2.9 Million each!!!
This $2.9 Million amount is probably enough for the solo, and married without children members to not have to remain at Costco if desired. Could switch to the business of instead living off the interest received if each can put 15% of money into at least 4% earning checking or savings account and 80% of the money into self-directed financial account that's investments consistently earns them 36%+/interest within every three years (tax lien certificates, tax deed sales, options w/insurance trades).
Fascinating choices and lifestyle modifications ahead for all 20 winners!
"money into at least 4% earning checking or savings account"
you know a bank that's offering 4% interest on a checking or savings account? Please let me know the name of the bank. I'm barely making 0.9% APY on my savings account.
NY again? Not NY and then CA....Not CA and then NY. I'm quit !
Awww, Tony, don't throw in the towel so quickly. Every dog has his day in the sun. Who knows, maybe YOU might be the lucky winner.
30 year governmesnt bonds will give 4%.
No thanks. 4% interest to have my money locked in for 30 years doesn't seem worth it to me. I'd use my savings to buy Powerball tickets before I'd put it in a 30 year government bond.
I thought HaveABall might have a secret FDIC insured bank that magically offered 4% APY on a savings account when it seems like every bank under the sun only offers about 1%.
I always wonder...if you win the lottery in a pool, how do you sign the back of the winning ticket?
Hmmm, good question, have the lawyer sign it or appoint a representative from the pool who will sign the ticket on behalf of the group?
everyone signs their name extra teeny-tiny, so everyone's signiture fits on the back of the winning ticket.
They probably collect it in a trust or LLC. Even if one dishonest person from the group tries to sign the ticket himself and then try to collect the prize on his own, the verification process takes at least 6 weeks if not more. That would be plenty of time to hire a lawyer and tell the lotto commission that ticket was purchased for the group.
the lump sum cash for each one is $3,473,178 if i was holding that ticket i will run away with lum sum of $70,000,000
new york is a big city and these guys are outta control i'm sure they will be back working at costco
It has been a while since someone from New York won .........................
I'm sure anyone who tried to pull something like that would get caught. The verification process takes at least 6 weeks. Even if someone did manage to collect the money with no one noticing, they would basically have to flee the country because if they didn't, they will get caught eventually.
There is an old article on LP about a Canadian store clerk who claimed a winning ticket for himself and was caught two years later.
Further evidence that group play is the best way to win. Congratulations to the group.
Here in Tx, the Lottery Commission will issue only one check...there is only one winner. So, it would be necessary for the group to hire an attorney and form a legal partnership. From there, I imagine the group has a bank account in which the money is deposited and then each member can withdraw his or her share.
I haven't researched it completely, but I do know that I would not claim the ticket myself because the tax liability would be on me.
Further evidence that just because you say something on the interwebs doesn't mean its true.
I once was in Brooklyn NY and saw a guy fork over $250 to buy megamillions tickets for one drawing! My Jaw dropped to the floor. Here I was thinking I was going overboard by spending $10 and this guy buys tickets the size of a sandwich so nonchalantly like as if he just bought gum! I asked the store guy whether that was common and he told me it gets even crazier when the JP rises above $250M.
After that day I am never surprised when I see winner after winner coming from over there.
NY again.
So much for spreading the wealth.
confirmation bias is true much?