Phillip Chippewa, a 54-year-old father of seven and grandfather of 21, came forward to claim his $80 million Powerball prize. He and his wife, Dawn, were lucky enough to match the five main numbers 21, 01, 09, 22, 36, 68 and the Powerball 22 in the September 21st draw.
Mr. Chippewa bought his Powerball ticket at the Barrels & Barrels Party Store in Suttons Bay although he wasn’t planning on getting lottery tickets that day.
Anytime I see the jackpot getting up there I buy a few tickets and hope for the best,” Chippewa said. “I stopped at Barrels and Barrels the day of the drawing and almost walked out without buying the tickets, but at the last minute, I decided to get four plays.
On the Spur of the Moment
This moment of inspiration proved to be life-changing, as one of the four lines was the jackpot winning combination. The help of his son was necessary for Mr. Chippewa to fully realize that his ticket was the winning one. While the couple was looking at the numbers on the tickets, their son was checking the Powerball results to make sure there is no error.
(…) Of course, my wife and son thought I was playing a trick, so my son pulled the numbers up on his phone and read them out loud while Dawn and I looked at the ticket together. By the time he was done, we both had tears in our eyes.
There is Enough Fortune to Go Around
The winner opted to receive the prize as a lump-sum payment, which means that after taxes, he will end up with about $42 million. Although this is not one of the top Powerball jackpots awarded, it will still change the Chippewas’ life forever. He will share his fortune with every member of his family, even planning on buying houses for each of his seven children!
Mr. Chippewa, a member of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, doesn’t want to let this fortune change him and he will continue to go to work, as will his wife.
Winning is life-changing, but it’s not going to change who we are. (…) Every day when I come to work my boss asks me: ‘Why are you here?’ I just tell him that I was hired to do a job and I’m not going to abandon anyone just because I won.
You should also purchase Powerball tickets and try your luck with this amazing lottery as it could get a life-changing lotto prize. You never know when luck strikes!