Winning $2.04 billion Powerball ticket was sold in California, state lottery says

A record-smashing $2.04 billion Powerball-winning ticket was bought in California, lottery officers mentioned Tuesday, bringing to an finish a short and befuddling odyssey that “started” when the successful numbers weren’t introduced on their regular schedule Monday evening.

The ticket was bought at Joe’s Mobil station in Altadena, an unincorporated space about 14 miles north of downtown Los Angeles, the lottery mentioned Tuesday morning. The holder of the successful ticket would be the first lottery-made billionaire in California’s historical past.

The successful numbers, in response to the lottery, had been 10-33-41-47-56, with a Energy variety of 10.

Enterprise proprietor Joe Chahayed is congratulated by common buyer, Yolanda Chavez, as he holds a verify outdoors Joe’s Service Heart in Altadena, northeast of Los Angeles Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022. For promoting the successful ticket, Joe’s Service Heart will obtain a most Powerball bonus of $1 million. (AP Photograph/Damian Dovarganes) 

The information got here as a turbulent finale to a Powerball saga that started the evening earlier than Monday evening’s drawing was postponed to Tuesday morning after technical difficulties. The Multi-State Lottery Affiliation mentioned in an announcement that the lengthy delay occurred as a result of “Powerball requires all 48 taking part (state) lotteries to submit their gross sales and play knowledge previous to the successful numbers being chosen. As soon as Powerball receives the excellent submission, the drawing can proceed.”

The affiliation refused to establish the state whose issues had been holding up the drawing, saying “it’s towards our coverage to call the lottery that's experiencing the delay,” in response to the Related Press. The California Lottery in a tweet mentioned “it isn't as a result of any delays on the California Lottery.”

Station proprietor Joe Chahayed instructed a crowd of reporters and well-wishers clustered in entrance of his service station that state lottery officers known as him the evening earlier than however solely mentioned some information can be coming within the morning.

“They got here right here earlier than I opened,” he mentioned. “They mentioned, ’Congratulations.’ ”

The $2.04 billion lottery jackpot is the biggest in U.S. historical past. Chahayed’s take?

$1 million.

Requested what he’d do with the $1 million, he mentioned he’d share it with household, together with his 11 grandchildren.

A hand-crafted letter “B” for Billionaire, is glued on prime of the unique “M” on a signed studying: “Millionaire Made Right here,” posted outdoors Joe’s Service Heart in Altadena, northeast of Los Angeles Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022. California Lottery officers say that the jackpot single successful ticket from the Powerball drawing was bought at Joe’s Service Heart. Somebody who purchased a Powerball ticket in Southern California has gained a document $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot after greater than three months with out anybody hitting the highest prize. (AP Photograph/Damian Dovarganes) 

“Nobody else deserves this greater than this man who’s labored exhausting all his life,” mentioned one of many station’s employees who was available with Chahayed for the impromptu celebration.

Requested in the event that they knew who had the ticket, the employees would solely say it was a daily and somebody from the neighborhood.

Chahayed, in an interview with the Southern California Information Group,  mentioned he hoped the winner was an area.

“It is a very poor neighborhood,” he mentioned. “The poor individuals deserve it.”

Three further tickets every value $1,149,661 had been bought in California, together with one in San Francisco, in response to the lottery. The 5-number tickets missed solely the Powerball quantity. The opposite two had been bought in Beaumont and Gardena, each in Southern California.

Reporter Aldo Toledo and the Southern California Information Group contributed to this report.