A Missouri mechanic and his unemployed wife came forward Friday as the holders of one of two winning tickets in the second largest lottery in US history: a $587.5 million Powerball jackpot.
Mark and Cindy Hill vowed to stay grounded and not let the massive windfall go to their heads after receiving a check for $293,750,000 at a press conference in their local high school in Dearborn, Missouri.
“We’re just normal human beings. We’re as common as anybody. We just have a little bit more money,” Cindy Hill told reporters.
The Hills, who appeared with their three sons and adopted daughter, said they were still trying to process what happened and haven’t really thought too much about what they’re going to do with the winnings.
“I think we’re going to have a pretty good Christmas,” said Cindy Hill, 51.
“We’re going to go on a holiday and take all our kids and grandkids. And I think we’re going to set up accounts for all kids, grandkids and nieces and nephews for college.”
The family also plans to donate a substantial portion of their winnings to charity, Hill said, adding “how much does a person need?”
The owner of the other winning ticket, which was purchased in Arizona, has not yet been announced.
Lottery fever in the lead-up to the drawing was such that 160,000 tickets per minute were being sold, according to media reports.
Another 8.9 million players won smaller prizes totaling $131 million.
Nobody had won the semi-weekly grand prize for Powerball — available in 42 states, the District of Columbia and the US Virgin Islands — since October 6, swelling the kitty for whoever held the winning six-number combination.
The odds of winning stood at one in 175.2 million — compared to the one in a million chance of being struck by lightning in a given year.
Lottery winnings in the United States are subject to taxation, with winners typically getting a choice between an annuity spread over many years or a reduced amount paid out in a lump sum.
Missouri mechanic, wife win $293 mln lottery
