A Laos-born immigrant battling cancer has won a whopping $1.3 billion (£1 billion) in Powerball, the US lottery game, competition officials have revealed.
Cheng Saephan, 46, is believed to have purchased the lucky ticket for the April 7 drawing in the city of Portland, in northwestern Oregon.
He chose to receive his winnings in the form of a lump sum of $422 million after taxes, to be shared equally with his wife and a friend.
“Now I can bless my family and hire a good doctor for myself,” he said.
“My life changed,” Mr. Saephan told CBS affiliate KOIN, revealing that he had prayed to God for help.
He added that he now wants to buy a dream family home and will continue to play Powerball.
“I might get lucky again.”
CBS is the media partner of the BBC in the United States.
Mr Saephan – who has been undergoing chemotherapy for eight years – said he, his wife and his friend had teamed up to buy more than 20 Powerball tickets for the April 7 drawing.
The winning numbers were 22, 27, 44, 52, 69 and the red Powerball 9.
Powerball tickets cost $2 each and are sold in 45 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, as well as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Huge billion-dollar prizes have become more common as ticket prices have risen.
The game has also been tweaked, with players now choosing five numbers from one to 69 instead of one to 59 under the previous rules.
Players also select the Powerball – their sixth number – from one to 26, instead of one to 35 as before.
This reduces the odds of winning the grand prize from one in 175.2 million to one in 292.2 million.
News Source : www.bbc.com
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