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LOTTO LUCK
Plus, more on the biggest lotto winners over the years
- Ashley Vega, SEO Reporter
- Ashley Vega, SEO Reporter
A LUCKY Powerball winner thought she won $100 but was shocked to hear the real prize from the store clerk.
The winner was merely one white-ball number away from the $120 million Powerball jackpot.
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The Missouri resident purchased her lottery ticket from the Food and Fuel Expresso in Independence, Missouri.
During the May 25, 2024 drawing, the anonymous ticket holder missed the winning numbers by one white ball.
She thought she'd take home $100 as a result.
When she headed to the store to claim her prize, she was stunned by the store worker's response.
Read More on US Lottery
"I said to the clerk, 'I don't know how much you guys pay out. I think maybe up to $100?'" she told CBS affiliate KCTV.
The clerk replied, "This is more than $100."
The lotto player then learned her ticket won her $50,000.
The winning numbers were 6, 33, 35, 36, 64, and the Powerball was 24.
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"I just missed one number. I can't even imagine that!" she said.
According to the lottery, the chance of guessing five numbers correctly is one in 913,000.
I thought I’d pocketed $4 on Powerball lottery but it was a mistake – clerk whispered that I won 12,500 times the amount
The Powerball jackpot is currently at $56 million with an estimated cash value of $27 million.
During the FY23, Jackson County lotto players have won more than $108.7 million in total.
Of that total, $9.9 million went to retailers in commissions and bonuses, and education programs have received more than $15.5 million.
BIG MONEY MISSOURI
This isn't the first time a winner miscalculated their lotto ticket earning and actually won a hefty prize.
A month before the Independence Powerball ticket holder won, one anonymous Missouri resident won $50,000 from a St. Louis liquor store.
Her ticket was for the April 6 drawing, and she also missed one of the five white-ball numbers.
She initially thought she won $100; however, she took 500 times more than her initial guess.
At the time, the winning numbers were 22, 27, 44, 52, and 69, with a Powerball number of 9. The jackpot was estimated to be $1.33 billion.
"It was shocking," the woman told The Missouri Lottery. "I guess it is a little bit life-changing."
BIGGEST LOTTO WINNERS
Over the last few years, an array of U.S. residents have taken home major cash prizes from the lotto.
Top lottery winners in the US
Millions dream of winning the lottery and finding fame and fortune. These are the biggest winners in US lottery history.
- Edwin Castro - $2.04 billion, Powerball, Nov. 8, 2022, in California.
- Theodorus Struyck - $1.765 billion, Powerball, Oct. 11, 2023, in California.
- Unknown winner - $1.602 billion, Mega Millions, Aug. 8, 2023, in Florida.
- Marvin and Mae Acosta from Los Angeles, California, John and Lisa Robinson from Munford, Tennessee, and Maureen Smith and David Kaltschmidt from Melbourne Beach, Florida - $1.586 billion, Powerball, Jan. 13, 2016.
- Unknown winner - $1.537 billion, Mega Millions, Oct. 23, 2018, from South Carolina.
- Unknown winner - he sued the mother of his child to keep his identity hidden - $1.348 billion, Mega Millions, Jan. 13, 2023, from Maine.
- Unknown winner - $1.337 billion, Mega Millions, July 29, 2022, from Illinois.
- Cheng and Duanpen Saephan, and Laiza Liem Chao - $1.326 billion, Powerball, April 7, 2024, from Oregon.
- Yanira Alvarez - $1.08 billion Powerball, July 19, 2023 in California.
- Wolverine FLL Lottery Club - $1.05 billion, Mega Millions, Jan. 22, 2021, from Michigan.
- Unknown winner - $842.4 million Powerball, Jan. 1, 2024, from Michigan.
Edwin Castro sits at the top of the list as the winner who has won the most money from Powerball.
On November 8, 2022, Castro won $2.04 billion after buying a ticket from Joe's Service Center in Altadena, California.
Castro opted to take a lump sum payment, which resulted in $997.6 million after taxes.
Following his payout, Castro spent $25 million on a lavish home in Hollywood Hills.
Read More on The US Sun
He also bought a $4 million mansion and rented a $47 million mansion in Bel Air.
As a new-found millionaire, Castro has been seen around the Los Angeles area accompanied by his 24-hour security.
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Topics
- Lotto
- Money US
- Powerball Lottery
- US Lottery
- Missouri
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