Joe Chahayed: Gas station owner who won $1M for selling $2.04B Powerball ticket wants to give money to family
ALTADENA, CALIFORNIA: A single winning ticket for Monday night’s delayed Powerball lottery drawing was sold in Altadena, with the jackpot worth of a record-setting $2.04 billion. Joseph (Joe) Chahayed, the owner of Joe's Service Center in Altadena, California, also earned $1 million for selling the record-breaking Powerball ticket at his store.
Chahayed happily lifted his large $1 million check outside his Woodbury Road gas station alongside his family and one of his managers on Tuesday while wearing a 'Millionaire made here' T-shirt. "We're excited," he said at a news conference with the California Lottery. "I will share it with the family, with whatever is necessary, with my children, my grandchildren. I have 11 grandchildren and I will share with them," reported The Associated Press.
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Who won Powerball jackpot 2022? Winner bags record $2.04 billion
The lottery also raised $156 million for California Public Schools. Chahayed revealed that the California Lottery met him at his store "before opening" to tell him the news. "They were here before it opened, they were waiting for me here," he said at the news conference. "They said, 'Congratulations, you are the station and [had] the winner.'"
His son, who was at the press conference, said, "No one else deserves it more than this man. He has worked hard all his life and he deserves it all." Chahayed said he had a "feeling someone could win the money" and is excited to see one of the 'poor' neighborhood residents win big.
Joe Chahayed who sold the winning ticket in the $2.04 billion Powerball drawing at his Altadena Mobil station, says he had a feeling there was going to be a winner among his customers. Video by @deanmusgrove for @PasStarNews @SoCalNewsGroup https://t.co/Mggu1oXG1X pic.twitter.com/DoFiAxzCyN
— Steven Rosenberg (@passthejoe) November 8, 2022
Due to issues processing sales data at one of the game's member lotteries, the winning numbers were actually chosen on Tuesday morning on November 8, approximately 10 hours after the original Monday night drawing. The Multi-State Lottery Association said in a statement that the long delay occurred because "Powerball requires all 48 participating (state) lotteries to submit their sales and play data prior to the winning numbers being selected. Once Powerball receives the outstanding submission, the drawing can proceed." The association refused to identify the state whose problems were holding up the drawing, saying "it’s against our policy to name the lottery that is experiencing the delay," according to the Associated Press. The California Lottery in a tweet said "it is not due to any delays at the California Lottery." The winning numbers, according to the lottery, were 10-33-41-47-56, with a Power number of 10.
UPDATE: The #Powerball draw is still delayed. There is an issue in another state. It is not due to any delays at the California Lottery. There is currently no estimated time for the drawing. (1/2)
— California Lottery (@calottery) November 8, 2022