SEATTLE — A Washington state woman on Thursday claimed a $90 million Powerball lottery jackpot after buying a ticket for the first time, and said she would quit her job at plane maker Boeing Co and buy a new Subaru.
Lisa Quam, who bought her ticket at a grocery story in Auburn, south of Seattle, had the six correct numbers in Saturday's multi-state drawing, the lottery said in a statement.
"Sent out an email to my co-workers and friends at work this morning and told them what a pleasure it was to work with them and to check the news today, and they'll come to an understanding of why I am writing this note," Quam said to laughter at a news conference in Olympia.
Quam and her husband bought two Powerball tickets on a Thanksgiving Day run to buy a newspaper and pumpkin spice, the lottery's statement said. She posted the tickets on the refrigerator and checked the numbers on Sunday.
"I yelled to my family, 'Get up here!' They all thought I was mad and angry about something," she said in a statement through the lottery. "My daughter asked, 'Is this an emergency?' and I said, 'Yes!'"
Quam has not decided whether to collect the prize as a lump sum, which would amount to roughly $56.8 million, or as an annuity of 30 payments.
The largest-ever Powerball jackpot was for $590.5 million and went to the holder of a single winning ticket last year.
The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are one in 175 million. The game is played in 44 U.S. states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Quam was the first Powerball jackpot winner in Washington state.
"We have student loans just like every family, house repairs. Maybe we'll buy a house for one of the kids," she said when asked by reporters about her plans.
Quam said she expected to travel more and had already identified her next new car: a Subaru Forester.
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Congratulations to the winners.
First time buyer. WOW!! Congratulation to Lisa Quam.
Two tickets...Does that mean they each bought one? Or did one of them buy two? First time players normally buy one ticket, I am pointing this out because someone else did on another topic covering this.
Congrats to Washington state for a first win.
Good point !
Also, was the 1st ticket the winner ?
B/C the 2nd ticket is the 2nd time you're playing.
I used to work w/ a guy that planned on saying it was his 1st time playing,
he's been playing over 40 years !
It just goes to show you how random winning the jackpot is. CCongratulations Mrs Quam and family. I hope this money brings you love
You have to be pretty gullible to believe this woman's story. You are telling me that a woman her age just played for the first time? We have had several jackpots in the hundreds of millions of dollars yet this is the first time she decided to play? Come on now. I might buy it if it was some 19 or 20 year old girl, but not her.
maybe she meant she bought one ticket that had two lines/plays?
Yea, that's likely the case, just making a technical point.
Boeing employee......I would say there is a 40% chance it is her first time. If she played then her co-workers would likely know about it (watercooler talk) and dispute the story in the press. I know several people her age who have never played, simply because they have no reason or need to. It is also possible that this is her first Powerball ticket, not first ticket ever. I could say it my first ticket if I have never played the game before.
There are over 300 million people in America, so there are bound to be a few who have never bought a lottery ticket. I think it irritates frequent lottery players when someone new wins (think they're "due" a win), but the reality is that anyone can win....all they need is one ticket for one drawing.
yeah, I think I see what you're getting at.
For all we know- the next winner could be from the Virgin Islands.
I know plenty of people who have never played the lottery and they claim they never will. My cousin plays blackjack and poker. Games he considers skill games. He considers the lottery a sucker's bet and never plays. One of these days I think he'll buy a ticket for the first time just for the heck of it and he'd win just cause the universe is ironic like that.
please don't open up that can of worms again.
Congrats to Lisa Quam on her big win!
If the next winner is from the Virgin Islands and a keen fisherman as well..using " worms" is almost the Holy Grail of fishing lures.
$2 investment turned into $90 Million dollars.
if the lottery was an investment then the IRS should tax it like an investment as in capital gains tax.
The Subaru Forester seems just a little ostentatious to me
The lottery is a very risky investment with a very high return. I will never say that it is better than traditional investment products. Why buy lottery tickets, if you do not dream of turning a little bit of money into a large sum?
It is wise not to spend large sums of money whenever someone wins a lottery jackpot. I bet you that they already bought another Powerball ticket for tomorrow drawing.
See, this is absolute proof that it is way too easy for some to win.
I bet if she bought tickets for the next three Powerball drawings she'd win three consecutive jackpots.
Sucks for us players who have played HARD for years, we are due for a win!
Lottery gambling fallacy #1 is thinking that playing the lottery everyday increases your chances of winning a lottery jackpot.
Well if you never play at all you truly have a 0% chance of winning.
She's very smart to just buy a Subaru.
Idiots that buy Ferraris like David Lee Edwards end up broke.
I wonder what the deductible for the unaffordable care act/obamacare is...I also wonder if one goes without I wonder how high the penalty is for people that don't bother with insurance with that kind of money.
President Barack Obama has taught the world how to spread wealth from the rich to the poor.
She won all that money and she`s going to buy a freakin Subaru?!?!
You mean from the dying middle class to everyone else rich and poor?