Powerball jackpot is the fifth-largest in history
$1.4 billion is up for grabs on Wednesday, September 3’s Powerball drawing.
“I think everyone has an idea, anyone who has held a Powerball ticket in their hand has thought about what they would do,” said Virginia Lottery executive director Khalid Jones.
After taxes, the jackpot is worth more than $600 million. That’s double the worth of the Biltmore Estate, according to its most recent reappraisal.
“A million minutes is about 11 days, whereas a billion minutes is 1,900 years,” Jones said.
Jones says people who don’t typically buy tickets make an exception for a jackpot this high.
At George & Sid’s in Bristol, Virginia, Samuel Fleenor was testing his luck, buying a ticket for himself, a friend, and the store owner.
“Pay debts, help those who’ve helped me, especially Mr. Boss man over here,” Fleenor said when asked what he would do with the winnings.
Fleenor let the computer choose his numbers, relying on his good luck charm, a horseshoe necklace.
But no matter who wins the big jackpot, Jones says the best part of the Powerball is giving back to the region.
“100% of the profits of the Virginia Lottery go to K-12 public education here in the Commonwealth,” Jones said.
Wednesday, September 3’s winning numbers are 3, 16, 29, 61, and 69. The Powerball number is 22.
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