This Guy did all the right things when he won....Do you know which things he did right???
California Lottery official: Sole winner of $425M February Powerball jackpot comes forward
Published April 02, 2014
Associated Press
April 1, 2014: This photo provided by the California Lottery shows Powerball winner B. Raymond Buxton holding a check for $425 million, in Sacramento, Calif. Buxton was wearing a shirt that featured a picture of Yoda and read, 'Luck of the Jedi I have', according to lottery officials. (AP Photo/California Lottery)
" 'Unbelievable!' is all I could muster," Buxton said in a statement on Tuesday. "Once the initial shock passed, I couldn't sleep for days."
After the winning numbers were announced, Buxton said, he sat in front of his computer in disbelief, checking and rechecking his ticket — and telling no one else that he had won. "Sitting on a ticket of this value was very scary," he said.
When he claimed his prize Tuesday, Buxton was wearing a shirt that featured a picture of the Star Wars character Yoda and read, "Luck of the Jedi I have."
According to his publicist Sam Singer, one reason that Buxton came forward on April 1 — April Fool's Day — is simply that he has a healthy sense of humor.
"He still can't believe it's not a prank on him. But the reality is Ray Buxton is the winner," Singer told The Associated Press.
Buxton has been working since February with an attorney and financial adviser to establish new bank accounts, set up a charity and sort out tax issues.
"I'm going to enjoy my new job setting up a charitable foundation focused on the areas of pediatric health, child hunger and education," Buxton said in the statement.
Buxton also plans to stay out of the limelight and doesn't want to speak directly to the media, Singer said. He also won't reveal his age, address or what he did for a living until recently.
"He really wants to live a private life as best he can," Singer said. "He was a solidly middle-class American, and today he is a solidly wealthy one."
Buxton bought the one winning ticket for the Feb. 19 drawing at a convenience store in the San Francisco Bay Area city of Milpitas, about 10 miles north of San Jose.
The $425 million jackpot is one of the largest lottery jackpots in U.S. history, though far from the record. The nation's biggest lottery prize was a Mega Millions jackpot of $656 million in 2012. The biggest Powerball jackpot was a $590.5 million last May.
Buxton chose to take a lump-sum payment of $242.2 million before taxes, lottery officials said.
Buxton was getting lunch at a Subway restaurant at the Chevron station's convenience store when he decided to buy another ticket because the jackpot was so large, lottery officials said.
"It's amazing how a little slip of paper can change your life," Buxton said, who estimates that he has been playing the lottery for 20 years.
The Feb. 19 jackpot was the largest jackpot in California history, according to lottery officials, and the sixth-largest ever won in the United States.
The odds of matching all six Powerball numbers are 1 in about 175 million, according to statistics from the Multi-State Lottery Association in Iowa.
Powerball is played in 43 states, Washington, D.C.,
WINNERS HANDBOOK
Start the next chapter of your life with the facts.
Winning the lottery is one of the most exciting things that can happen to a person. And because you’re a big winner, it’s not just exciting—it’s also life changing. That’s why we wrote the book on winning big bucks.
Start the next chapter of your life with the facts. Download our Winners' Handbook for answers to your questions about:
- Payments and Taxes
- Estate Planning
- Public Disclosure
- Money Management
- And more
Click here to download the Winners Handbook (Spanish version)
Click here to download the Winners Handbook (Chinese version)
Click here to download the Winners Handbook (Korean version)
Click here to download the Winners Handbook (Vietnamese version)
http://www.calottery.com/win/winners-handbook
And This is what you Should NOT do...
\Lottery winner's lifetime of money gone in weeks
Excerpt....
Sometime in October, Ramsey had won "$500 a week for life" on a scratch-off Florida Lottery ticket. With the help of a cab driver, he had gotten an ID, a copy of his birth certificate and a ride to Tallahassee to claim the prize. He took it as a lump-sum payout — $403,288.
In barely four weeks, Ramsey blew through more than half the money, with little of value to show for it. He says he wanted the cash, but by taking it all he is in danger of losing the government benefits he has relied on to survive.
To Read Entire Article Click Here