The holder of the highest-paying lottery ticket in California history has come forward to claim his winnings from the Oct. 4 Powerball draw worth nearly $700 million, according to the California Lottery.
Scott Godfrey was the ultra-lucky person who walked into a Morro Bay Albertsons supermarket and bought 10 Quick Picks, one of which matched all six Powerball numbers drawn on that fateful day. He was the lone jackpot winner in the multi-state draw.
"It feels great to win big, of course, but I’m especially happy that this jackpot means $78 million was raised for California public education," Godfrey told the California Lottery.
The winning numbers were 12-22-54-66-69 and the Powerball number 15. Those digits appeared on the very first line of the 10-line ticket Godfrey bought, according to lottery officials.
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"I definitely looked at it more than once and even had someone else check to make sure I wasn’t just seeing things," Godfrey said.
The $699.8 million prize is the largest jackpot win in California Lottery history, officials said. It's the fifth largest jackpot in Powerball history and the seventh largest jackpot in U.S. lottery history.
It also was the first Powerball jackpot win in the new Monday draw, which launched Aug. 23.
California
Godfrey, who opted for the lump sum total of $496 million before taxes, told lottery officials he and his family wish to remain private, and he has declined any media interviews.
Albertsons will receive a $1 million bonus for selling the jackpot ticket.
