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.
I agree c*aramel.
God bless her and her family.
OMG!! I enjoyed reading this story while eating my Rainbow Sherbet.
Congratulations Mrs. White!!!
I wish eating Rainbow Sherbert was the main ingredent to win a Jackpot.
If so.. MegaMillion will be mine TONIGHT!!!
What's with with people claiming someone deserves to win? It's a gamble. Millions play, but only a lucky few will win. No one deserves or doesn't deserve to win. I'm a nice person, but I would never say give it to a stranger, not me. Are you saying she deserved it, but you didn't? It's a gamble. Everyone is taking a chance.
i saw on the news tonight that when she discovered that she had the winning ticket she placed it in her bible for safe keeping......and after she won few days later
she bought a scratch off and won 80.00 dollars..... she was happy about that......and she seemed so calm at the press conference but she almost forgot her purse.
i don't think it has soaked in yet.......she is rich. great for her and her family.
Yea, or maybe we need to find out what else they went to the store for,
i don't mean routine stuff like gas, or milk,
it sounds like rainbow sherbert was a favorite to them,
whats your favorite stuff that makes you take a trip to the store,
when you don't really need things, just want them ?
Congrulations to ms White and her family. God Bless them. I love her spunk, reminds me of a lady I know who was friends with my mother (my mom is now deceased) and she always had us laughing at the funny things she said. (Like ms White stating she wanted to go to the store not dear ask her what she wanted). I sat around the kitchen table many nights laughing at their stories.
They will definitedly make wise decisions based on how they started by taking time to get consults from experts in investments, estate planning, etc whomever her team of professionsals consists.
That is the same thing i said the lottery is rigged how is it that one ticket always win.
I think we need to boycott the lottery to make changes it is a conspiracy/
I keep thinking about the whole town in spain winning real big in the lottery.
Why can't this lottery in the states be set up the same way.
Paid for with loose change. Three tickets is becoming the magic number.
Congrads Mrs. White, Goodness & blessings always follow those that are good to others. I hope you live a long life and enjoy your winnings. Now you can travel and see all of Gods blessings. Congrads again.
I was thinking the SAME thing!!! I had to go back and re-read the last couple paragraphs a few times. Its like they MIXED up this story with another one, or just randomly added his part on?
Who would use HIS method to describe how to play the lottery?? IF anything they should mention LOTTERY POST in general as how to get tips and ideas on how to play the lottery!
Why even play the lottery if 200 or more people going to share the Jackpot?! Kinda defeats the purpose, don't you think?
Move to Spain if you want that kind of Lottery!
please don,t hate, just keep on playin, ur day comin, if u live long enough, lol.
Most people are like you, including the powerball officials. The area where it was bought was a very richsey area of rhode island and this woman did the right thing by buying in an area like this.
My question to you...would you expect an 81 year old white woman to win???
the lottery should be split up at lease 3 or 4 people, and how it always in the north eastern states, ?
There are plenty of other lottery games with better odds and many more top winners but nobody is interested in hearing about them. It's the multi-million dollars winners that people want to read about and dream about being. Facts are many players wouldn't buy a lottery ticket if the jackpot wasn't large and odds weren't that only one player would win it.
I'm still trying to figure out how I can weasel my white arse into that family lol. "Hey grandma, Remember me, your long lost albino grandson ? It's been so long"
Are you trying to STEAL my idea? lol!
Almost all people of color have some white arse relatives in their families some where, but they probably know them if they are within two generations of of them.
Congratz to the winner!
I know it's a gamble and really, someone deserving a lottery is not a factor. I say she deserved it because she looks like a nice lady you kno? Her prayers has been answered. She deserved it because she made the right move to go out and buy ice-cream. Guess I won't use the word deserve no more.
Anyone else creeped out about how the media searched public records for other places she's lived, digs through her facebook profile and prints her occupation, prints her son's name, age, occupation, and the approximate location of his home, etc, etc, etc?
and which century are you from again .....
hence the reason I stay off such sites
No. Why are you creeped out? That's called American paparazzi.
I realize the information is out there but that isn't the point. What does it add to the story that she used to live in some other town, or that her son is a musician, or that his house is a mile away from the store. It adds nothing, yet it provides more personal information to the hordes of beggars and thieves that will be decending upon her.
Babel, while you have valid points in your reply, you are also forgeting about the other options she has with THAT kind of wealth. From personal protection to living anywhere she wants. She can afford a publicist, travel, buy homes for her family, rent a place anywhere..She has so many options whether personal information is available or not. She only has to pay taxes and monthly aquired bills that she doesnt pay with cash. Out of the 142 million she netted.........I think with the good head she has on her shoulders, she will do just fiiiiiine.
That is how Socialists think!
One big winner is how I like it! El Gordo is always split up, move to Spain if you want that kind of lottery! Leave our lottery alone! or just play the daily numbers ...........
Adults don't mind that one person becomes wealthy ...................
That is why I don't play the daily numbers ........... I don't have the money to waste on small amounts daily ............... I play for the pleasure and to maybe win a truly life changing amount of money ..............
I don't get it.
How do you lease a lottery?
Ridge ...I think he meant to please 3 or 4 people.....But I was a bit confused by that one myself. Maybe its that new social justice math ???
Many more blessings and congratulations to Ms. White and her family. WTG!
Thats the largest jackpot won by a color person. Well congratulation. Its good to know color people can big 2
Its good to know black people can win big like that. I thought it was only white people who won large jackpot. before.
Pssst Luke ???? <whispering>...you may want to research the last person from GA that won the latest Megamillions jackpot, better yet look at 2 or the lat 4 winners of the MM jackpots. Also take a gander at the last person person from GA(in Sept 2011) that won that jackpot......Using race in a statement of a winner is somewhat gormless .... I am glad that resident of the USA won ....best of luck if you played for tonight's jackpot. Hope you do well
And white people don't have black in thier families? Every white family is pure? In America?!
And Rhode Island wins again tonight!
Woooooo hoooooooo!
I hope it was a rich Wall Street Investment Banker who doesn't really need it!
And I hope he picks it up while wearing a Silk Smoking Jacket with matching ascot while smoking a pipe and yelling at his chauffer for not bowing when he opened the door for him.
Wouldn't it be cool if Louise White played and won again! Back to back wins....what are the odds?, or maybe I shouldn't be asking, less
that turns into another long winded thread about "weak Powerball odds"
I was just about post that.
I'm hoping I win Friday's Mega Million's 148 jackpot!
It comes out to a little over $142 million. That's a insane amount to money to fall in your lap. Whats the point of a trust if you're gonna go public with your win?
What's the point of a trust anyway? It only puts a lawyer between you and your money.
You should ask that question of a lawyer who specializes in trusts, I'm sure a trust has other benefits than hiding from the public.
What are the odds of that? Oh, wait......they are still only 1 in 175,223,510.00.
But seriously, if Mz. White wins again...........
colored people.wtf? are we in 1920. wowwwwwwww.u are a retard. now off to school on your short bus.