Golden State billionaire!
The winner of Powerball’s second largest jackpot prize worth $1.765B was revealed Friday — five months after the life-changing drawing.
Theodorus Struyck was named as the representative of a group who bought the billion-dollar ticket at a market in Frazier Park, Calif. for the October 11 drawing, the California Lottery announced.
The brand-new billionaire was described as a 65-year-old resident of the mountain town of approximately 3,000 people who lives only 500 yards from the store, according to KGET.
“He adores his grandchildren,” Struyck’s neighbor Mary Dreier told the outlet. “He’s just really pleasant to have around. I noticed yesterday he put up that Posted: No Trespassing sign.”
Struyck’s location was unknown at the time of the announcement, and some of his neighbors and some of his neighbors wouldn’t share it if they knew.
“If I knew I wouldn’t tell you,” Rick Kotnik told the outlet, laughing, sharing the two would often talk about fishing.
It was not revealed how many people were a part of the group who claimed the massive winnings.
The group can be paid the $1.765 billion through 30 payments over 29 years or choose the one-time cash sum of $774.1 million.
In the Golden State, the winner’s full name and the name and location of the business that sold their lucky ticket are required to be disclosed.
The winning numbers were 22, 24, 40, 52, 64, and the red Powerball 10.
The odds of winning the Powerball grand prize is an astronomical 1 in 292,201,338.
The historic $1.765 billion prize came on the 36th drawing of a Powerball dry spell that produced $18 million in commissions and bonuses during that historic three-month jackpot run.
The win “allowed California Lottery to raise an additional $119.5 million for public schools,” according to the lottery.
“Announcing big wins like this gives all of our players the chance to hope and dream that they could be next,” California Lottery Director Harjinder K. Shergill Chima said.
“It also gives us an opportunity to shine the spotlight on our terrific mission, which is to generate additional, supplemental funding for public education in California. So, it’s students of all ages across the state, who win every day thanks to our players, our retail partners who sell these fun games, and our hard-working staff here at the Lottery. This is an exciting day for all of us!”
The family-owned Midway Market, located 75 miles north of Los Angeles in Kern County, received $1 million for being the store that sold the winning ticket.
“I didn’t even believe it at first. I think this could be the biggest thing that’s ever happened at Frazier Park,” owner Nidal “Andy” Khalil told The Post in October. “I hope it is one of my regular customers because we have a few who buy tickets every day.”
The 1.765 billion win fell $28 million short of Edwin Castro’s $2.04 billion historic win in November 2022.
Castro was announced as the ticket holder for the largest national lottery jackpot and has since added to his impressive real estate portfolio while purchasing several vehicles including a green, vintage model Porsche.
