Unforeseen Fortune: Kentucky Office Team Divides $200,000 Powerball Lottery Jackpot

In the midst of routine office life in Paris, Kentucky, an extraordinary event unfolded. A group of eight ordinary coworkers from a manufacturing company found themselves in the spotlight, sharing their story of luck and camaraderie. Their office lottery pool had just won a staggering $200,000 Powerball prize.

The Moment of Discovery

It was an ordinary day for these eight colleagues until they realized their shared fortune. The joy was infectious as they discovered that their collective endeavor had resulted in a $200,000 Powerball win. Their journey to the Kentucky Lottery headquarters in Louisville was filled with smiles and disbelief.

"Complete shock," one winner remarked upon entering the lobby. "I thought I was going to have a heart attack," another chimed in. This group comprised workers from Avantor Performance Materials, a pharmaceutical manufacturing company based in Paris, Kentucky. Together, they had formed an office lottery pool around four years ago.

The Winning Ritual

The group's organizer, Tim, would stay up every time after the Powerball draws to check their tickets. Recalling the night of the drawing he said, "I looked closely at our ticket and my hands began to shake." He then took his tablet and winning ticket to his wife Karen and asked her to read off the numbers.

Initially thinking Tim was pulling her leg, Karen checked the ticket herself. The winning numbers for the January 17 drawing were 5, 8, 27, 49, and 57 with a red Powerball number 14. The ticket had matched four of the regular white ball numbers and the Powerball number, winning the game's $50,000 prize.

"Her eyes widened as she realized we had won $50,000," Tim said. "I told her we had Power Play on our ticket, so we actually won $200,000." With the drawn Power Play multiplier being 4 that night, their initial $50,000 prize quadrupled thanks to the $1 add-on.

The Joyous Announcement

The next day, Tim and Karen Facetimed their coworkers to share the exciting news. "I was at dinner with my family because it was my sister's birthday. I remember when he called me because I missed his first call," one of the coworkers recalled. Initially fearing bad news regarding Tim, they were relieved and overjoyed to learn about their shared lottery win.

"I cried, and not just any crying - it was ugly crying," another winner joked. After taxes, each group member walked away with a cool $18,000. They all plan on using their winnings to pay off bills.

In recognition of selling the winning ticket, the lottery retailer will receive a bonus of $2,000 from the Lottery. Thus ending a tale of ordinary workers becoming overnight winners, demonstrating that sometimes luck can truly be a shared endeavor.