Since May 19, people have been wondering when and if the winner of the $590 million Powerball jackpot was ever going to step forward, because that person might be dead or not own a TV or simply hate money. Well, good news for scam artists everywhere, because the winner has finally stepped forward and it is 84-year old Florida resident Gloria C. Mackenzie.
People in Zephyrhills, FL knew that the ticket belonged to someone in the small town of 13,000-ish, and now they know that Mackenzie will split the one-time, lump sum payment of $390 million with her son in Jacksonville, because she’s totally cool like that.
“We are grateful for this blessing,” Mackenzie said in a brief statement read by Florida Lottery Secretary Cynthia O’Connell at the press conference. (Via NBC News)
Mackenzie didn’t make it to the press conference, but I have an exclusive look at what she was actually doing as they made the announcement…
“This is a very large amount of money, it changes your life,” O’Connell said. “I believe to make sure that they were ready to handle the responsibilities that comes with that kind of a jackpot win.”
Word around the Florida tire fire is that Mackenzie lives in a tiny little house with a tin roof, so I’m hoping that she buys herself a nice, new place. If history is any indication, an older person with a ton of money can even buy the governor’s mansion.
But the most unique part of this story is that Mackenzie admitted that she probably shouldn’t have even received the winning ticket.
She told lottery officials she watched the drawing and knew she was the winner that night. Another person in line at the Publix let Mackenzie cut ahead to purchase what turned out to be the winning ticket, she said.
Somewhere in Zephyrhills, there’s a dude either tying a noose or running a garden hose from his tail pipe to his car window right about now, because…
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