Florida Winners Of Historic Powerball Jackpot Revealed
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – The Florida winners of a historic Powerball jackpot were revealed Wednesday.
The $1.58 billion jackpot winning numbers were announced more than a month ago. On Wednesday, the winners came out to the public at a news conference in Tallahassee.
David Kaltschmidt, 55, and Maureen Smith, 70, a couple from Melbourne Beach, claimed their portion of the winnings - $528.7 million in the name of The Nickel 95 Trust. They elected a lump sum payment option of almost $328 million.
So what's the first think they plan to buy?
"He wants a new car," said Smith referring to her husband. As for her, she said, "I don't know. I want to get a massage."
Smith bought the winning ticket and one quick pick for $3 at a Publix supermarket near their home. Maureen is a homemaker while her husband is a manufacturing engineer at Northrop Grumman- a major aerospace and defense contractor.
Smith said she had been playing the winning numbers (4-8-19-27-34) for years and had bought two tickets. They did not watch the drawing live but realized the next morning that they had the winning numbers.
After winning they said, they "just acted normal" and got legal advice.
"I'm afraid it's going to make me less friendly because I am going to be worried," said Smith.
As for Kaltschmidt, he said his co-workers were getting suspicious.
"The first time I showed up late for work, they asked if I had won the lottery. I said I didn't buy the winning ticket, so I didn't lie," he said.
After 30 years as an engineer, Kaltschmidt plans to retire and buy his new car.
The couple also wants to help family and charities, but they're not being specific on how they'll spend all this money.
"I know I want to help special people in my life," said Smith. "Of course we want to take care of family. It's very stressful. It's new and we really don't know. We have to think about it."
That's right, she said having $528 million is stressful.
"Lost a lot of sleep. I lost over 10 pounds, a lot of pacing at night. You worry, you worry about what's going to happen because you're no longer in a quiet place and I'm gonna miss that," said Kaltschmidt.
But there were other winners. Some who did not play. Displayed on on an easel was a check to Florida's students and schools for $114 million for the educational enhancement trust fund.
The winning ticket bought in Florida is one of three splitting the jackpot from the January 13th drawing. The other two winning tickets were bought in California and Tennessee.