SALEM, Ore. (AP) — One of the winners of $1.3 billion Powerball jackpot This month, an immigrant from Laos, who has had cancer for eight years, underwent the latest chemotherapy treatment last week.
Chen “Charlie” Saefang, 46, of Portland, said at a press conference held by the Oregon Lottery on Monday that he and his wife, Duanpeng, 37, would receive half and donate the rest to a friend. Ta. Liza Chao (55) lives in Milwaukee, a suburb of Portland. She tipped Chao $100 to buy tickets with them. They received an after-tax lump sum of $422 million.
“I'll be able to provide for my family and my health,” he said, adding, “I'm going to find a good doctor for myself.”
Sehwan, who has two young children, said that as a cancer patient, he thought to himself, “How will I have time to spend this money?” How long can I live? ”
After purchasing the joint ticket, Chao sent Sehwan a photo of the ticket and told him, “We are millionaires.” He said it was a joke before the actual drawing, but he won the next day.
Mr. Chao, 55, was on his way to work when Mr. Sehwan called him and told him, “You don't have to go now.''
Saephan said he was born in Laos, immigrated to Thailand in 1987 and immigrated to the United States in 1994. Wearing a sash at a press conference, he identified himself as Yu Mien, a Southeast Asian ethnic group with roots in southern China. Many of the Eumains were subsistence farmers and supported the U.S. military during the Vietnam War.After the conflict, thousands of Yumien families fled to Thailand to avoid reprisals and eventually settled in the United States.
Tens of thousands of Umien people live along the West Coast, and Portland has a large and active community.
Sefan graduated from high school in 1996 and has lived in Portland for 30 years. He worked as a machinist at an aerospace company.
In the weeks leading up to the drawing, he wrote the match numbers on a piece of paper and slept with it under his pillow. He prayed for victory and said: “I need help. I don't want to die yet unless I do something for my family first.”
powerball winning ticket was sold at the Plaid Pantry convenience store in Portland in early April, ending a winning streak that had lasted more than three months. The Oregon Lottery said it must go through a security and vetting process before releasing the identities of those who come forward to receive prizes.
Oregon law does not allow lottery participants to remain anonymous, with some exceptions. The winner will have one year to win the top prize.
If the winner chooses to take the prize instead of paying it out in a lump sum, the cash value of the jackpot would be $621 million before taxes. pension Payable immediately and in 29 annual installments over 30 years. Prizes are subject to Oregon federal and state taxes.
The $1.3 billion prize is the fourth-largest Powerball jackpot in history and the eighth-largest of any U.S. jackpot game, according to the Oregon Lottery.
The highest prize won in the U.S. lottery was $2.04 billion. in California in 2022.
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Johnson reported from Seattle.
