A 56-year-old man from the United States (US) who won US$100,000 (S$134,000) in the Powerball lottery on 19 March has credited his lucky windfall to his late father.
“My dad just passed away three weeks ago,” Thomas O’Hollearn revealed while claiming his prize in Clive, Iowa, adding:
I thought maybe it was a blessing from him. It was a blessing from my dad.
Mr O’Hollearn came very close to winning the evening’s US$417.9 million (S$559.6 million) jackpot, matching four of the five white balls drawn.
Source: Powerball
He had purchased his winning ticket after hearing about the large jackpot.
“It was up to a lot of money, so I thought, ‘Well, I’ll get a couple easy-pick (tickets),'” he said. “And here I am!”
Mr O’Hollearn, who works for a freight company, discovered his win after checking his ticket at a local retailer the next morning while between deliveries.
Thrilled and in disbelief, he immediately called his mother, brother, and son, all of whom were excited for him.
The winning numbers in the Powerball lottery on 19 March were 8, 11, 21, 49, and 59, with Powerball 15.
Since Mr O’Hollearn opted for the Power Play feature, his prize was doubled to US$100,000 instead of the original US$50,000 (S$67,000).
Power Play is an optional feature for an extra US$1 (S$1.30) per play that can multiply non-jackpot prizes by up to 10 times, with the multiplier randomly selected before each drawing.
Source: AP Photo via KRON 4 News, for illustration purposes only
He plans to save and invest his winnings for retirement and said he will always remember this win.
Mr O’Hollearn had often won small amounts, like US$3 (S$4) or US$15 (S$20), but never imagined he’d win such a large sum.
“It’s a dream come true,” he gushed.
Also read: 73-year-old man in Brazil wins S$44.3 million lottery jackpot, dies 25 days later
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Featured image adapted from Powerball.
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