Powerball Winner: Who Won the $2.04 Billion Jackpot? Here's Why Lotto Winners in California Can't Be Anonymous

The Tuesday draw of the Powerball lottery had one winner in Southern California taking home the record-setting $2.04 billion jackpot.

The winning numbers for Monday's Powerball lottery were not drawn on the supposed schedule of 10:59 p.m. ET due to problems processing sales data in one of the participating lotteries. Thus, the winning numbers were selected Tuesday morning.

According to FOX 11, the Powerball winner in California bought the winning ticket at a gas station in Altadena, an unincorporated area east of Los Angeles. So, who won the Powerball? As of Wednesday afternoon, lottery officials told FOX 11 that they still do not have a confirmed winner.

So far, no winner has been confirmed yet since winners must still undergo a rigorous vetting process by their state lottery. It could reportedly take weeks or even a few months to officially declare a winner. However, the winner's name cannot be anonymous in the state of California.

California Law Does Not Allow Powerball Winners to Remain Anonymous

Public disclosure laws differ from state to state. But in California, where Tuesday's Powerball winning ticket was bought, a lottery winner could not remain anonymous. The winner's name is considered a matter of public record under California law.

According to the California Lottery Winner's Handbook, the state lottery said a winner's full name and the name and location of the retailer that sold the ticket are all subject to disclosure. It also said the amount of the winnings, which includes the gross and net installment payments, must also be disclosed.

Another reason why California law discloses the winner's name to the public is for the public to know that these lotteries, including the Powerball, are honestly run.

The North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries further noted that lawmakers also wanted the public to know that the prize was paid out to a real person and was not getting scammed.

Financial advisers often advise winners not to tell anybody or be careful about who they tell, especially if they win the jackpot. However, lottery winners cannot remain anonymous in most participating states.

States that grant anonymity includes Arizona, Florida, Delaware, Georgia, Kansas, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, Virginia, Texas, and Wyoming.

California Store Owner Who Sold Powerball Winning Ticket Gets $1 Million Bonus

Because of this California law, the store where the Powerball winning ticket was purchased was revealed. Reports said the lucky ticket was bought at Joe's Service Center in Altadena.

Joe Chahayed, the store owner, will receive a maximum bonus of $1 million for selling the Powerball winning ticket. Chahayed told FOX 11 that he thanked all the community who supported him. He also encouraged the public "to buy a ticket from this station," adding that "you're going to be a winner too."

Chahayed noted that he was grateful that the community and schools will benefit from the lottery funds. He also said he would spend the $1 million on his five children and donate some to the community.

"I will share it with the family... with my kids, my grandchildren," he noted.

Like many in California, Chahayed is also an immigrant. He emigrated from Syria to the United States in the 1980s with his wife, two children, and $14,000 in his pocket.

Chahayed said he worked hard, eventually saving enough money to open up his business, which had been up and running for the past 20 years. He noted that he did not know who won the Powerball jackpot prize but hoped it was someone local, CBS News reported.

Chahayed said: "I wish I knew the person but most people who buy tickets from me are from the neighborhood. I hope one of them will be the winner."

Tuesday's jackpot was by far the largest lottery jackpot ever won, topping the previous record of $1.586 billion prize won by three Powerball players in 2016. The winning numbers were 10-33-41-47-56 and the Powerball was 10.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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