If you have won the lottery jackpot, there are several steps you should take as soon as possible. Before you cash in your lottery winnings, you should take a picture of the ticket stub and put it in a safe place. Then, you should begin assembling your financial dream team. Ensure your team consists of an array of financial experts, including an investment adviser, a certified public accountant, an estate-planning attorney, private bankers, insurance specialists, and other professionals who can help you handle the amount of money you’ve won.
Before claiming your prize, you should set some concrete goals. Perhaps you’d like to pay off debt, help your family, start a foundation, or buy big-ticket items for yourself. It’s also a good idea to create a legacy. The National Bureau of Economic Research found that lottery winners tended to keep their wealth for years, making them happier and more financially stable than lottery winners who lose it all in a few months.
In 1990, a 44-year-old federal government employee won half the $2.25 million jackpot, keeping his anonymity. He was later told that he won the jackpot after his co-workers pooled together and won $20. The winner had purchased EZ-pick tickets, which use computer-generated numbers, and then bought four out of six of them. This winning ticket was purchased at a New Castle liquor store. This man is now retired and still enjoys playing the lottery.
On Dec. 23, 2013, a Leander resident became the winner of the largest lottery jackpot ever paid out by a single player in Texas. The winner has chosen to remain anonymous and took the cash value of the prize, which is estimated at $157 billion before taxes. He purchased the winning ticket at Lakeline Express Mart in Cedar Park. The winning numbers were six, fourteen, twenty-four, forty-six, and Mega Ball 9. The Leander resident’s ticket became the thirteenth Mega Millions jackpot winner in Texas.
Despite the jackpot size, a man’s luck was so good that he waited until the next day to tell his girlfriend about his win. The couple decided to split the jackpot with his girlfriend and purchase an engagement ring on the way home. They also decided to continue playing the lottery as they had always been. After the jackpot, the couple is now considering buying real estate and taking a trip. If this doesn’t happen, they’ll simply continue playing the lottery.
Powerball has also seen its jackpot size rise in recent weeks. Since April 15, tens of millions of tickets have been sold in the Mega Millions lottery. However, none of the winning tickets matched all six numbers. While the odds of matching all six numbers are one in 302.6 million, there are several other lottery jackpots that have reached that high in recent months. In January, two tickets in California and Wisconsin split the jackpot worth $632.6 million. In February, a ticket in Connecticut won $185.3 million. The biggest jackpots are the ones with the highest jackpots.
