Winning the lottery is a dream for most people, and a lucky man from Orange County did just that. However, despite hitting all six numbers, old Jerry is still left without a penny of what he won months later.
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Jerry, who bought his ticket from Ralphs Grocery Store in Orange County, managed to hit all six numbers on the lotto draw. He couldn't believe his luck, remarking "It was exciting in a really subtle way because you don't anticipate ever hitting all six. Six numbers on the Powerball is ... the odds are you'll die before ... You'll walk out and get hit by lightning before you win that one," to KABC.
Ralphs also received a payout of $220,000 simply for selling the ticket. That little grocery store can now fill its shelves with only the finest fruits. However, even though Jerry won his ticket, months later he still hasn't seen a penny. Understandably, the megamillion lotto winner is feeling a little impatient. There is only so long your nerves can hold out planning on what to spend an insane amount of money on.
The Lotto Process For A Winner Takes Time
The huge amount of money won by our friend Jerry takes a lot of time to process, meaning it will be delivered later than expected. Checks have to be made. Obviously, they need to ensure there has been no chance of fraud. Also, it must be verified that legitimate tickets have been bought, and the person receiving them isn't a criminal. The process takes time, delaying lotto winnings for months.
Of course, Jerry is sitting at home, knowing he has won, but not knowing how much later the winnings will arrive. In an interview, he said, "The process is really horrible for a winner of a big ... any big lotto winnings." Furthermore, "They won't tell you 'By this date, you'll get the funds.' They won't tell you that. They leave it open-ended so you're sitting, waiting daily." I can't imagine waiting around for that amount of money to come into my bank account. It wouldn't feel real until it was there in front of me.
Of course, although he had won a $44 million prize, all the US institutions will take their slice first, letting Jerry have his later. The IRS will likely take a solid 37% of what Jerry won. However, this will still leave him with more money than god. I wouldn't turn my nose up at that.
