POWERBALL WINNER PAUL WHITE SAYS “I THOUGHT I WOULD WIN ONE DAY”

Powerball winner Paul from Minnesota, aged 45, had a feeling that one day he would win the lottery. He nearly forgot to play Powerball and buy his Quick Pick tickets that day and bought them at the last minute from the store, Holiday, in Ham Lake. The store will receive $50,000 for selling the ticket with the lucky Powerball numbers. Much like the store who sold B. Raymond Buxton his $425 million winnng ticket in February 2014 and received an impressive $1 million reward for good measure. reward Paul says he only plays the Powerball lottery once a month and then, only when it is a high jackpot. Paul was quoted as saying, “I’m more of a scratch-off guy.” Paul opted for the $86 million cash option and, after taxes, will collect $58.3 million.

The Powerball winner from Minnesota said his girlfriend, Kim Vanreese, aged 45, rang him at his office to ask if he had checked his Powerball numbers, as it had been announced that one of the winners was from Minnesota. Kim also mentioned that the Powerball was 32. Paul said he remembered that two of his five Powerball quick picks had 32 as the Powerball number, so he checked. He had a look online to find that he had the lucky winning Powerball numbers. He says he ran round the office shrieking and got at least 10 people to verify his ticket before he left the office.

CARS, FAMILY, AND CHARITY

Paul has two children from his first marriage; a son aged 16 and a 14 year old daughter. His son has just got his driving license, so Paul plans to buy him a car and to buy himself a rare 1991 Acura NSX sports car thanks to his lucky Powerball numbers.

“I feel this pressure off my shoulders that you carry every day with you,” Paul said, “I have two kids. Are my kids going to college? Am I going to be able to take care of them if they have health issues? All these things – gone. You don’t ever have to worry about them again.”

The kids are at the forefront of many winners’ thoughts. One of the main plans for Mary and Brian Lohse and their $202.1 million September 2012 jackpot was to take care of their children.

White has a sister who is involved with a charity in San Francisco and he plans to assist that charity. “I think a lot of good things are going to come out of this, for not only my family and friends but for random people. I don’t want to work for anybody else for the rest of my life for a pay cheque.” White works for Elliott Contracting in Minneapolis but says he will be quitting his job as soon as he has finished the projects which are on his desk. White’s boss and long time friend was at the press conference with him and White said, “He started the day my boss and will end the day my chauffeur!”