Looking at the biggest Powerball winners of last year!
We all imagine winning the lottery and living happily ever after. But for a lot of winners, that just isn’t the reality. Even with a massive windfall at their fingertips, the biggest Powerball winners are still normal people. That means they still have problems to deal with, just like we all do.
For a lot of these winners, scooping a big jackpot just wasn’t the golden ticket they’d hoped it would be. Sure, some have better luck than others. But having a truckload of money doesn’t necessarily exclude you from life’s challenges.
So, where are some of 2019’s biggest Powerball winners?
Let’s take a look.
Manuel Franco - $768.4 Million Jackpot Winner
Milwaukee resident, Manuel Franco, claimed his jackpot in April 2019. It’s actually the third biggest jackpot in Powerball history. Opting for a lump sum payment, Franco took home a neat $477 million, or around $326 million after the usual taxes.
Franco bought his ticket from a local Speedway store in Wisconsin and won the March 27, 2019 draw.
However, there’s been no official word about the winner since he claimed his prize.
Nashville Winner Scoops $198 Million Jackpot
One lucky Hendersonville, Jackson lottery player won the $198 million jackpot in July 2019. The winner claimed their prize at the Tennessee Lottery’s headquarters and the ticket was purchased at the local Worsham’s Market.
The prize, claimed by the Freedom Trust, was paid out in a lump sum of $128.1 million and was the seventh Powerball jackpot won in the state, as well as the fourth biggest Powerball jackpot to date.
$80 Million North Evans Winner
North Evans Powerball players, David Yax scooped the $80 million Powerball jackpot in September 2019, winning him the largest Erie Country jackpot so far.
Like most winners, Yax took a lump sum payment that totaled nearly $38.5 million and claimed that his and his wife’s lives had completely changed. At the time of winning, Yax said he planned to invest his winnings, travel and simply enjoy life.
$80 Million Suttons Bay Jackpot Winner
In October 2019, Phillip Chippewa from Lansing, Michigan also scooped an $80 million jackpot after purchasing his winning ticket at Sutton Bay’s Barrels & Barrels Party Store.
After they’d confirmed their winnings, the Chippewas held a family meeting to share the news with their seven children. The family also has 21 grandchildren.
Opting for a lump sum payout of $42 million after tax withholdings, Chippewa’s plan was to purchase homes for his family, a motorcycle for himself and a Dodge Challenger. He also continued to work after his windfall.
$298.3 Million Jackpot Won In Brooklyn
East New Yorker, David Johnson claimed a jackpot of $298.3 million just before the start of 2019. It was the second-largest jackpot in the history of the New York Lottery.
Just as the other winners did, Johnson took a lump sum payment which totaled around $114,000,000 after the necessary tax withholdings. He didn’t realise he’d won the jackpot until his co-worker mentioned that the winning ticket was purchased at the store where he buys his Powerball tickets.
A native of Jamaica, Johnson arrived in the United States at the age of 16. He bought his winning ticket at a service station just across the road from his place of employment.
Where Are They Now?
Admittedly, we don’t often hear of winners down the line, unless they manage to squander their money and fall into major debt – which many do.
Winning a big Powerball jackpot is both a blessing and a curse. While it gives you the freedom to live your dreams, it’s all too easy to splash the cash and land up back in debt.
Let’s hope 2020’s big winners are making wise jackpot decisions!
Find the latest results today at Powerball.ca.