67-year-old man comes forward to claim $343.9 million Powerball prize
NEW YORK -- A 67-year-old New York City man has stepped forward to claim his $343.9 million prize from a Powerball ticket, making him the winner of the biggest jackpot in New York Lottery history, according to the New York State Gaming Commission.
The winner is Robert Bailey, who said he received the winning numbers over a quarter century ago. "A family member gave me the numbers over twenty-five years ago and I faithfully played them," the retired government employee said Wednesday in a news release.
The winning numbers in the October 27 drawing were 8, 12, 13, 19 and 27, and Powerball: 4. Bailey said he checked his ticket online following the drawing and was shocked.
"I said to myself, 'These look like my numbers.' I tried to remain calm and sat down to watch some shows I had on my DVR. I didn't sleep the rest of the night," he said.
Two players won the game that night in a jackpot that topped $687 million, the second being a woman from Iowa.
"I'm excited to share my winnings with family and friends, plan to purchase a new car, and look forward to a long vacation — or several," Lerynne West, from Redfield, Iowa, said earlier this month. "I also plan to give to the causes and organizations important to my family through our newly established Callum Foundation."
Bailey, who bought his ticket at a deli in Harlem, chose to take his portion of the prize in a single payment of $198,086,518. After withholdings, he will receive $125,396,690, according to New York's Gaming Commission.
"I'm gonna get a house, especially for my mother. God bless her, she's still around," he said, CBS New York reported. "I definitely want to travel a little bit and hopefully I make some good investments that will work for me and my family."
He also plans to keep playing his numbers "until this train runs out."
