ECONOMY & WORK
MONEY 101
NEWS
PERSONAL FINANCE
NET WORTH
About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use DMCA Opt-out of personalized ads
© Copyright 2023 Market Realist. Market Realist is a registered trademark. All Rights Reserved. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.
MARKETREALIST.COM / NEWS

Oregonian Battling Cancer Wins $1.3 Billion in the Fourth-Largest Jackpot in Powerball History

Cheng who has been fighting cancer for eight years is happy because now he can help his family find a good doctor.
PUBLISHED MAY 7, 2024
Cover Image Source:  Powerball signs that would usually read the number of millions in the jackpot | Photo by Andrew Spear/Getty Ima
Cover Image Source: Powerball signs that would usually read the number of millions in the jackpot | Photo by Andrew Spear/Getty Ima

Oregonian Cheng “Charlie” Saephan has spent eight arduous years battling cancer. He had chemotherapy just last week but in the middle of his ordeal, he received some incredible news: he was one of the fortunate winners of the enormous $1.3 billion Powerball prize, per Fox 59. Saephan was overjoyed to share this amazing victory with his wife Duanpen, and their friend Laiza. They chose the cash option which meant they would receive over $422 million in total after taxes. Half of it will go to Laiza, and a quarter each to Cheng and Duanpen. 46-year-old Cheng showed his happiness for his family at an Oregon Lottery news conference, stating they will now have a wonderful life ahead of them. Even amid the rejoicing, his thoughts were constantly consumed by his continuous fight with cancer. He worried, "How will I find the time to enjoy all this money?" Cheng is adamant about continuing to live a "normal" life despite his illness. One of his aspirations is to purchase his family's "dream home."

Image Source: A customer purchases a Powerball lottery ticket at the Brew Market & Cafe on October 10, 2023 in Austin, Texas. The Powerball jackpot has grown to over $1.7 billion, making it the second largest jackpot in history | Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images
A customer purchases a Powerball lottery ticket at the Brew Market & Cafe | Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images

A Powerball ticket bought in Oregon has struck gold, winning a massive jackpot of almost $1.33 billion. It's the fourth-largest jackpot ever in Powerball history as confirmed by Powerball officials. The winning numbers for Saturday were 44, 27, 52, 22, 69, and the Powerball number was 9. Just one ticket sold in Oregon matched all six numbers, making the lucky holder an instant billionaire with a prize of $1.326 billion. Now, they have a decision to make: they can either take the money in yearly installments or opt for a lump sum of $621 million before taxes. The final rush of ticket sales pushed the jackpot beyond its initial estimate of $1.3 billion, making it the eighth-largest jackpot ever in US lottery games, according to Powerball. 

But the Oregon champion isn’t the only one celebrating this weekend. Seven other tickets were matched with five white balls, each winning $1 million. Those lucky tickets were sold in Arizona, Delaware, Florida, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan and Wyoming. Sunday's 10:59 p.m. ET but there was a delay of more than three hours. Powerball explained that lotteries need extra time to complete certain pre-draws. This jackpot line is one of the longest in Powerball history. The previous big win was on New Year's Day when a Michigan ticket pulled in $842.4 million.

Image Source:  A sign shows the estimated jackpot for Powerball in the window of a store on October 04, 2023 in Miami, Florida. Wednesday's Powerball drawing will be an approximately $1.2 billion jackpot | Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images
A sign shows the estimated jackpot for Powerball in the window of a store | Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images

The largest Powerball jackpot to date is a staggering $2.04 billion from ticket sales in California in November 2022. The next largest jackpot is $1.765 billion (one ticket in California, 2023) and $1.586 billion (three tickets, 2016). To win the Powerball jackpot, a ticket must match five white balls as well as a red Powerball. According to the lottery, the odds of winning any prize in the Powerball drawing are about 1 in 24.9 while the odds of winning the jackpot are about 1 in 292.2 million.

According to Powerball, this prize, which was won on April 6, was the fourth-largest in the company's history. Although there was a lot of enthusiasm, the drawing was delayed by more than three hours to ensure that all the pre-draw details were correct. It was also Oregon's largest Powerball victory ever.

Image Source: A customer purchases a Powerball lottery ticket at the Brew Market & Cafe on October 10, 2023 in Austin, Texas. The Powerball jackpot has grown to over $1.7 billion, making it the second largest jackpot in history | Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images
A customer purchases a Powerball lottery ticket at the Brew Market & Cafe | Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images

The Oregon Lottery reported that the winning ticket was purchased from a Plaid Pantry location in Portland. And what do you know? For selling that winning ticket, the retailer receives a huge $100,000 bonus. After living in Portland for thirty years, Cheng Saephan, originally from Laos, offered a touching story about his victory. He selected Quick Pick and let the computer do the choosing. "God chose me," he said. When Saephan found out about his win, he couldn't wait to share the news with his friend Chao from Milwaukie, Oregon. He gave her a call, and she was in her car, heading to work. But Saephan had some news that made work seem less important: "You don’t have to go to work now. We won the lottery. We won the jackpot." Talk about a morning surprise! 

“I will be able to provide for my family and my health,” he said, adding that he would also be able to find a good doctor for himself. He said he and his Duanpen are taking half the money, and the rest is going to their friend, Chao. Chao had chipped in $100 to buy a batch of tickets with them.

MORE ON MARKET REALIST
Jennings had a record-setting winning streak as a contestant before he became the host.
15 hours ago
The player, Ron Wheeler, tragically got no clues after his letter picks for the final puzzle.
19 hours ago
The former kids champion, Skyler Hornback knew what was coming.
21 hours ago
The fans took issue with the clue being too tough and unnecessary for the contestants.
1 day ago
Cuban wanted to strike a deal with the founder of Coconut Girl and gave her an ultimatum.
1 day ago
Although the word did make a lot of difference, some fans felt that the decision was ridiculous.
1 day ago
The guest, who found the item online, didn't think it was the real deal until he heard its value.
2 days ago
The player Samantha secured the first big win of Ryan Seacrest's run on the show.
2 days ago
The sisters wanted to keep their father's legacy alive, but also had their careers to focus on.
2 days ago
The shopper noticed that the watermelon which she bought three days ago was deflated.
2 days ago
The guest couldn't believe that her collection was worth so much money.
3 days ago
While all the Sharks were out, Mark Cuban saw the potential in "Garage Celebrations."
4 days ago
The loss was ironic as the retired teacher coulnd't get a phrase commonly used in classrooms.
4 days ago
The recalls were issued for a range of products including tires, air conditioners and power banks.
4 days ago
The guest who got the item as a gift from a neighbor had little to no idea about its significance.
4 days ago
Harrison got a good deal for the fossil although it wasn't what he had thought.
5 days ago
The player, Beth Barbee left everyone in the dust with her impressive puzzle solving skills.
5 days ago
Given her celebrity status, Harrison cut her some slack in the negotiations.
5 days ago
The deal ultimately fell apart as the seller, Scotty was looking to get $375,000.
6 days ago
The guest was blown away by the six-figure appraisal for his father's John Falter illustration.
6 days ago