25 Aug 2017

Winner of $US758.7m jackpot quits job of 32 years

9:32 am on 25 August 2017

The winner of a US record jackpot - $US758.7 million - has come forward to collect her prize, lottery officials say.

Mavis Wanczyk

Mavis Wanczyk Photo: Screenshot via BBC

Mother-of-two Mavis Wanczyk, 53, bought the ticket at a petrol station in the town of Chicopee, Massachusetts and has won the largest prize for a single ticket-holder in the contest's history.

The winner - whose lucky numbers were 6, 7, 16, 23 and 26, and 4 - told reporters she had already quit her job.

The biggest ever US Powerball jackpot was $1.6 billion, although that was shared by three ticket holders in January 2016.

Massachusetts State Lottery told reporters the ticket in Wednesday night's draw had been validated.

"The first thing I want to do is just sit back and relax," said Ms Wanczyk, chewing gum.

"I had a pipe dream.. and it came true."

She told journalists she had picked her lucky numbers based on relatives' birthdays.

Ms Wanczyk said of her 32-year job at a medical centre: "I've called them and told them I will not be going back."

She added that she was "going to go hide in my bed".

Reporters asked if she had plans to treat herself to something nice, such as a fancy new car.

But Ms Wanczyk replied she just bought a new car less than a year ago, and now planned to pay it off in full.

One lottery officials described the woman as "your prototypical Massachusetts resident".

He added that she seems like "a hard-working individual" and "clearly she's excited".

The $US50,000 prize awarded to the business that sold the winning numbers would be donated to charity, said Pride petrol station owner Bob Bolbuc.

The jackpot payout, which can be made in 29 yearly payments or a lump sum, is estimated to be about $US443m after taxes.

Powerball Product Group chairman Charlie McIntyre said in a statement that six other tickets - sold in Connecticut, Illinois, Louisiana, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and the Virgin Islands - won $US2m each.

Thirty-four other tickets across the US scooped $US1m.

Massachusetts lottery officials initially said the jackpot ticket was sold at a convenience store in the Boston suburb of Watertown, but corrected the location on Thursday morning. It is not clear how the error was made.

The odds of winning the jackpot are one in 292.2 million.

- BBC / Reuters