Winning on the 41st Draw After New Year's Day
8th Largest Prize in History
The Winner Is an Immigrant Battling Cancer
In the United States, a Powerball jackpot worth $1.3 billion (approximately 1.8 trillion KRW) was won, and the first-place winner has been identified as a Laos-born American immigrant battling cancer.
On the 29th (local time), the Associated Press reported that Cheng Saepan (46), who lives in Portland, held a press conference for the Powerball first-place winner organized by the Oregon Lottery Association. Oregon state law requires the identity of lottery first-place winners to be disclosed except in exceptional cases.
At the press conference, Cheng Saepan introduced himself as an immigrant, saying, "I was born in Laos in 1977 and immigrated to the United States in 1994." Due to his battle with cancer, he had a shaved head and revealed that he has been unable to work since being diagnosed with cancer eight years ago in 2016. Currently, Cheng Saepan is undergoing chemotherapy.
He recalled the time of purchasing the lottery tickets, saying, "My wife, a friend, and I bought 20 tickets together," and "I had a good feeling." The prize money is $1.3 billion, the fourth largest amount in Powerball history and the eighth largest among all lotteries including Mega Millions. Since no winner had emerged for over three months after New Year's Day, the jackpot rolled over and continued to grow, and finally, a winner was drawn on the 41st drawing. Cheng Saepan will receive a lump sum of $422 million (580.6 billion KRW) after taxes.
He said, "My wife and I will share the prize money equally with our friend." He also said, "I will be able to support my family and health," and "I will find a good doctor for myself." The AP reported that he also said, "Will I have time to spend all this money? How long will I live?"
Meanwhile, to win first place, five white balls and one red ball called the Powerball must all match, with the odds of matching all six numbers being 1 in 292.2 million. The largest Powerball jackpot in history was $2.04 billion (2.807 trillion KRW), won in California in November 2022. Powerball drawings are held three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays.
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