"The Power Pack" opted for a lump sum of $546.8 million.
Remember the case of the unclaimed Powerball ticket back in January at a Lonaconing, Maryland, grocery store? Well, the mystery has finally been solved. On Wednesday, winners came forward to claim their prize for the state's largest-ever Jackpot of $731.1 million! The group, who anonymously go by "The Power Pack," purchased the ticket on January 20 at Coney Market, a small-town grocery store in western Maryland, but redeemed it in time to meet the July 21 deadline.
Instead of receiving cash payments over a time span of 30 years, they opted for a lump sum of $546.8 million. The total winnings amount to $366.6 million after taxes.
“We are thrilled that the jackpot has been claimed, and we couldn’t be happier for the winners,” said Carole Gentry, Maryland Lottery and Gaming Managing Director of Communications in a press release.
A statement from Maryland Lottery confirmed the members' disbelief at possessing the winning ticket, with the person who purchased it reportedly saying, “This can’t be right, I’m going to work.”
We sure can't blame them! It's not every day someone wins the fourth-largest Powerball prize in history and the nation's sixth-largest lottery as a whole. The last record-breaking win to make the headlines was in 2012 when a Maryland trio called "The Three Amigos" claimed $218.6 million out of a $656 million Mega Millions ticket.
So what will the mystery members do with their earnings? Lottery officials confirmed the group plans on supporting their families and communities, with no plans of dramatically altering their current lifestyles. It doesn't hurt that Coney Market and the state of Maryland will be getting in on the cash flow, too. In addition to the prize winners, the grocery store pocketed $100,000 for their role in selling the ticket, while the state will receive $49 million in tax revenue. As Gentry summed up in a statement, "Everyone in Maryland wins."
It's a crazy story, huh? How would you spend your earnings if you won the Powerball Jackpot? Let us know in the comments.
