Last month we published here on Casinomeister US how an individual from the state of Wisconsin had bought the winning ticket for the staggering $768 PowerBall Jackpot, which was drawn on March 27th.
Well the winning ticket holder has come forward and gone public with his life changing win, with 24 year old Manuel Franco being unveiled as the lucky winner of the PowerBall Jackpot. Incidentally, the state of Wisconsin does not allow lottery winners who reside in the state to remain anonymous, so it was only a matter of time before Franco was identified.
Prior to the draw last month, Franco had only $1000 savings to his name and his main aim, was to ensure his bank account stayed above the $1000 mark. But it is now all change for the 24 year old Franco, who has opted to receive the lump sum payment of $477m. However, Franco’s win will be subjected to an eye watering $151m in state and federal taxes, leaving him some $326m to play with.
Speaking to reporters about his life changing win, Franco said: “It’s a weird lucky feeling. It’s not natural, not normal at all. I screamed for about five or 10 minutes. Good thing my neighbors didn’t hear. “
Franco decided to sit on the ticket and his win for just under a month before claiming the prize. During this time he hired a team of lawyers and financial advisors, before claiming the jackpot and also going public with the win. Something he had to do due to state rules.
The lucky 24 year old also asserted that he will not let the win change him as a person, stating to reporters that he will not become: “One of the people who went bankrupt or broke or anything like that.”
With Franco also affirming: “I’m not sure what the next chapter is going to bring for my life. It feels like a dream, and it feels honestly like, any moment, I’m going to wake up and I’m just going to be back in my room, in my bed.”
