A hospital worker from Massachusetts has become the largest single-ticket prize winner in American history after scooping a eye-watering Powerball jackpot worth $758,700,000!
While not the biggest jackpot, that accolade goes to a $1.6 billion prize shared between three winners, it is the biggest every single ticket prize! Upon collecting her cheque, lottery winner Mavis Wanczyk told her hospital employers that she will not be returning to work.
American lottery prizes work a little differently to the rest of the world in that players must choose the full amount over many years, or a smaller lump sum. This lucky winner has chosen the lump sum payment and will collect $480,000,000. However, because US lotteries are also taxable, the winner actually collects $336,000,000. While it’s a hugely reduced amount, we’re sure that Mavis Wanczyk won’t be splitting too many hairs about the win.
The winner has worked in her clerical job at Mercy Medical Center in Springfield, MA for 32-years and so this win will be a huge life change. She has two adult children and no doubt they’ll be currently thinking up inventive ways to help mum spend this record win.
Although she is planning a holiday almost immediately, Wanczyk gave no indication on what she intended to do with her winnings, but she can at least afford a long enough holiday to give herself plenty of thinking time.
US lottery prizes have really been increasing in recent years as players become more used to big jackpots and they fail to draw in the crowds. With this $758,000,000 win and a jackpot over a billion already recorded one can only wonder how far this trend can go.