Virginia University math major scoops up $1 million lottery prize

Jan 10, 2022, 3:26 pm (23 comments)

Virginia Lottery

By Kate Northrop

OAKTON, Va. — A Virginia math major had just the right numbers on a Bank a Million lottery ticket to win a $1 million prize.

Numbers are familiar to college student Brian Donohue, who majors in Mathematics at the University of Virginia. Thanks to his mother, he found a winning ticket worth $1 million in his Christmas stocking.

For someone who deals with numbers day in and day out, the winning numbers on the Virginia Lottery's Bank a Million lottery ticket came as a welcome surprise on Christmas Day. Donohue's mother bought the ticket at the Giant Food grocery store on Chain Bridge Road in Oakton.

The $2 ticket matched the first six numbers, 4, 8, 21, 25, 32, 35, minus the Bonus Ball 15 on December 22 to win the game's top prize of $1 million, beating the odds of 1 in 3,838,380. Since the ticket matched the first six numbers exactly, the Bonus Ball was not needed to win.

According to the Lottery, the top prizes of $1 million, $500,000 and $250,000 (depending on the wager) are calculated so that winners receive the prize amount after federal and state tax withholdings, which means that Donohue will be walking away with the full $1 million prize.

Donohue said that the prize money will go toward his college tuition.

Bank a Million drawings take place every Wednesday and Saturday at 11:00 pm EST.

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

Lottery Post Staff

Comments

fellini

The title makes it seem like the student won because of his math skills, but that's clearly not the case.

Bleudog101

Quote: Originally posted by fellini on Jan 10, 2022

The title makes it seem like the student won because of his math skills, but that's clearly not the case.

I thought initially he'd say it was nearly mathematically impossible to win the lottery until the article was read.   One thing that really stood out was that they pay the taxes so you actually get the $1 million.

Raven62's avatarRaven62

Party Congrats to the Winner! Party

You don't need Mathematics to Win!

Just Divine Intervention!

JuliaM's avatarJuliaM

Virginia's BM apparently is one of the easiest to win jackpots because it only has 40 numbers.

He can now go hire someone to create a program and sell it as lottery secret formula software LOL

MsBee18

Never heard of this draw game Bank Million. Congratulations on the win. I agree a million should be a million.

Artist77's avatarArtist77

I play this game sometimes. 1 million tax free so you really win about 1.4 million. It replaced decades of dollars.

kao1632

Quote: Originally posted by Artist77 on Jan 10, 2022

I play this game sometimes. 1 million tax free so you really win about 1.4 million. It replaced decades of dollars.

It's not tax free.. It is just a million after WITHHOLDING tax has been deducted...

An important distinction.

Marginal tax exceeds 24% when you earn more than $164,925.. (up to 37% for sums over $523,601)

Federal tax due on $1,000,000 is about $334,426.. and he would have paid only $240,000

And State withholding is 4% while "Add'l state taxes due (5.75% final rate)"  so, up to another 1.75%...

For him to walk away with $1m after withholding taxes are deducted... means he has to be getting something like $1,357,000..

 

He'll owe about $130,000-$140,000...ybe more depending on his other income.

Artist77's avatarArtist77

Quote: Originally posted by kao1632 on Jan 11, 2022

It's not tax free.. It is just a million after WITHHOLDING tax has been deducted...

An important distinction.

Marginal tax exceeds 24% when you earn more than $164,925.. (up to 37% for sums over $523,601)

Federal tax due on $1,000,000 is about $334,426.. and he would have paid only $240,000

And State withholding is 4% while "Add'l state taxes due (5.75% final rate)"  so, up to another 1.75%...

For him to walk away with $1m after withholding taxes are deducted... means he has to be getting something like $1,357,000..

 

He'll owe about $130,000-$140,000...ybe more depending on his other income.

Lol. I know how taxes are paid and one still really pays taxes. I had read the legal info on the lottery website. I was referring to how the game is advertised.

Bleudog101

Quote: Originally posted by Artist77 on Jan 11, 2022

Lol. I know how taxes are paid and one still really pays taxes. I had read the legal info on the lottery website. I was referring to how the game is advertised.

Georgia just rolled out scratch taxes paid tickets too.   IDC what folks say about the taxes, my feeling is 'are you better off with the win than before?'  Their top prize is $2 million all the way down to $40K taxes paid so they advertise.

STell743

Crazy thing about this game is, no one hardly ever wins the million and most times no one wins the second prize either. I always check the payout.

Artist77's avatarArtist77

Quote: Originally posted by STell743 on Jan 11, 2022

Crazy thing about this game is, no one hardly ever wins the million and most times no one wins the second prize either. I always check the payout.

I have noticed that as well and it is odd considering the pairs and numbers that repeat.

STell743

Quote: Originally posted by Artist77 on Jan 11, 2022

I have noticed that as well and it is odd considering the pairs and numbers that repeat.

Its rigged that's why.

Artist77's avatarArtist77

Quote: Originally posted by STell743 on Jan 11, 2022

Its rigged that's why.

Lol And your proof is what?

rdgrnr's avatarrdgrnr

Does Virginia require you to wear a face diaper just to take the picture?

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