An immigrant from Laos suffering from cancer has won a $1.3 billion (1.21 billion euros) lottery jackpot in the US. Cheng Saephan, 46, immediately announced he would share the winnings with his wife and an acquaintance of the couple who contributed $100 to the ticket purchase.
The lottery company in the US state of Oregon presented him at a press event on Monday (local time) as the lucky buyer of the winning ticket – a procedure that is quite common in the United States and which means appropriate media hype for the winner. Saephan beamed and held up a huge check for the photographers.
Winner now wants to afford a good doctor
The father-of-two, who emigrated to the US in 1994, said he had been suffering from cancer for eight years and received chemotherapy last week. But now his prayers have been answered. His family is now taken care of and he can look for a good doctor.
Also planning to buy a house
Saephan had bought more than twenty tickets. When he found the lucky ticket with the correct combination of numbers in the pile after the draw, he immediately called his 55-year-old friend who had participated in the purchase of the ticket. She was in the car on the way to work, Saephan said. He told her she didn’t have to work anymore. He shares the other half of the money with his 37-year-old wife, with whom he wants to buy a house, among other things.
The winner has opted for a one-time payment
The ‘Powerball’ winners can choose whether they will be paid the full amount in installments over 30 years or receive a one-off payment minus a significant discount. The trio opted for immediate payment – a sum of $422 million after tax deductions. Saephan explained this move by saying that he didn’t know how long he would live.
The largest jackpot in American history was won in California in November 2022: at that time there was $2.04 billion to be won. Participation in the “Powerball” lottery is possible in 45 US states, as well as in the capital Washington, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
Source: Krone
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