GRAND BLANC TOWNSHIP, MI — A central Michigan couple and a western state attorney were announced Tuesday as winners of an $842.4 million Powerball lottery jackpot from a ticket purchased on New Year's Day.
The Breakfast Club lottery opted for a cash prize of $305 million after taxes, Michigan Lottery Commissioner Suzanna Shkreli told reporters outside the Food Castle supermarket in Grand Blanc Township near Flint, where the winning ticket was sold.
The winning numbers drawn were: 12, 21, 42, 44, 49 and red Powerball: 1.
Speaking on behalf of The Breakfast Club, member and attorney Mark Harder said the middle-aged couple had been “elated and overwhelmed, excited and nervous” since realizing their ticket was the winner.
“They have gone from shock and sleepless nights to thinking about how this unique event will change their lives,” Harder said.
“The morning after the drawing we heard on the news that the winning ticket had been sold here,” Harder said. “(The man) looked up the ticket numbers on his phone and he was so stunned he dropped his phone.”
In a statement, the couple, whose names were not released Tuesday, said the award will have a positive impact on their family for generations to come.
“Until now we have lived a comfortable life and expected to retire one day,” Harder's statement said. “Now we are not financially tied to a specific timetable. The world and our opportunities have opened up in an incredible way.”
Harder told reporters that the man plans to continue working for a while. The couple also expects to travel more and possibly buy property in Florida if Michigan winters “get a little too much.”
They also plan to share the profits with their immediate family and donate to charities, Harder added. He did not indicate what he would do with his own profits.
Food Castle will receive a $50,000 commission for the sale of the winning ticket. The store's owners said they will share the full amount with their employees and donate it to food banks and other charities.
The winning numbers for a $1.3 billion Powerball jackpot were signed in Oregon in April.
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Williams reported from West Bloomfield, Michigan.
