Six months after someone in California was announced a co-winner in the historic $1.6 billion Powerball jackpot, the mystery buyer has finally been revealed — and it's a couple who were laying low on purpose, lottery officials said.
Newly minted millionaires Marvin and Mae Acosta said in a statement Tuesday that they were thankful for the "rare gift that has been placed in our care" after hitting all of the numbers.
The couple have taken home their share — a cash option of $327.8 before taxes — from the Jan. 13 jackpot that was split with two other winners in Florida and Tennessee.
But while those winners stepped forward relatively quickly, the Acostas were apparently taking their time to mull over their financial options.
"It may have taken six months for them to come to one of our offices, but these winners did just what we tell all our winners to do — they read our Winner's Handbook and then assembled a team of legal and financial advisors to help them make the most of this windfall and prepare them for their new life as Lottery winners," California Lottery Director Hugo Lopez said in a statement. "We couldn't be happier for them and are thrilled they took the time to assemble the right team before coming in to claim."
The couple confirmed they have been consulting advisers who could help they become "good stewards" of their windfall.
"While many decisions are still to be made, we have committed nearly all of this new resource to a Trust and to charities that are important to us," they added. "While we are very grateful for the wonderful wishes and encouragement we've received, it is not our intention to become public figures, and we ask for and appreciate privacy going forward."
A 7-Eleven in Chino Hills, a suburb of Los Angeles, also netted a $1 million bonus for selling the winning ticket.
While the couple lives in a state where winners must make themselves known publicly, the couple still declined to be interviewed or have photo released Tuesday, the California Lottery said.
The Florida winners of the shared record jackpot, a married couple originally from Long Island, New York, also opted to take the lump sum, they said after coming forward in February.
The Tennessee winners, a family from the tiny town of Munford, were the first to reveal themselves, telling the Today show just days after they won the drawing that they didn't plan to quit their jobs or buy a mansion.
Thanks to hearsetrax for the tip.
music*: They must have listened to your advice. See that about the Winner's handbook? It is very informative for lottery winners.
while it's important to get prepared..I don't think...no...I know I couldn't wait as long as they did.
I hear you loud and clear haymaker; maybe two months max, who knows?
Could you imagine what the jackpot would have been if still NOT won? They probably would have changed the rules and let all the five # winners split it all.
That's about as long as I could hold out.
Wonder if they realized they were winners right away ?
With all the hoopla going on at Chino Hills 7-11 they must have know early on,
may not get much more details on this as they choose smartly to shun the publicity
and decline interviews.
If still not won ?
Interesting thought !
I chuckled when I read that the TN winners planned on working and not buy a mansion saying their one story-house was adequate. They purchased a 320 acre estate with a 9900 sq. ft home a month after claiming their prize.
How quickly plans change!
Laying low on purpose. Really. So it wasn't that guy that went on social media and told everybody to screw it up their asses.
I better start busy reading that winner handbook now so I don't have to wait 6 long months to claim the prize :)
I wonder if they will go on HGTV and purchase a house LOL
too long to wait unless they really didn't need it right away like most. how many 6 month's do you get in a lifetime. they kinda sorta wasted 1 6 month segment of the rest of their lives. it shouldn't take that long to get your ducks in a row. now they have to pay a bevy of accountants, lawyers, financial advisors, and others and probably won't even spend 10% of the money ever. more than likely leaving it to their kids who will rip through it like swiss cheese.
been trying to get information on these clods. are they still working. employer would have to be crazed to take them back. thought the whole thing was a charade to deflect people from hounding them. good ploy.
What are you talking about?
l am more interested in finding out if the daughter of those TN winners continued her relationship with that con in prison.Supposedly it was he * the con that supplied the parents with the winning # & the money. Some guys just got all the luck.
I guess l'm just a sucker for a good love story.
Congrats to the Acostas in part of the record breaking 1.6 billion powerball win. It was on KCAL 9 news today that the Hispanic couple claimed their share of the powerball prize. It seemed obvious they were getting they're stuff together quietly not even say goodbye to they're neighbors. Everything they did to claim is what I plan to do when I win it BIG someday, except give my full name if the lottery office requires I.D. But I know for a fact that lottery winners will never live normal lifes once they get that giant check. Only time will tell when we'll hear from the Indiana mega millions winner/s.
Interesting that they showed up with security. No one knew they were claiming the prize. You can buy kidnapping insurance which would help pay a ransom before you get your winnings. If they went to the lottery office on Friday, they also got a head start. The news articles appeared today. I'm surprised the lottery would do that. Seems they really dont care much about safety.
Congratulations to the Acosta family in Chino Hills, California. Their dreams have come true.
Isn't winning a record-breaking jackpot what most of us here are playing for? Not all but most of us.
They timed this to co-inside with the Republican National Convention. Maybe the Indiana winners are waiting for the Democratic National Convention.
Huge congrats to the Acostas! Imagine waiting until election day to claim. 4 months, but plenty of time to get your ducks in a row.
Powerball! I got my tickets! Lets go!
Six months? WOW!!!. At least they are safe. Congratulations.
When or IF I win I am just going STRAIGHT to the headquarter the following day to claim it but the Cash would arrive 1/2 weeks after I know
The nutcases out there have probably already gone crazy zaba search finding out where they had and possibly do live.
Anyway very happy for them.
As a fellow Californian to Marvin & Mae Acosta, I would like to thank them for showing us how to turn down the press availability and the grip and grin photo. Many LP Members here have recommended this. My decision about that is now made up and I will say, "No Thank You" when asked to at the Lottery Office.
I feel for the States that have a full news conference and photo shoot.
California is showing leadership in this area and the area of taxing lottery winners. No taxes on Lottery winnings.
I thank the voters, the legislature, and our Governor.
Congrats to the winners!!!
I had to laugh at the folks that were aghast at the winners who "claimed too soon", and at the winners who "waited too long to claim".
There is really nothing like claiming too soon, or waiting too long to claim{provided it's claimed before it expires}. Only the winner determines what the ideal and right time to claim for his or her individual circumstance. Remember, one man's meat is another man's poison.
Really thought this was a lost ticket. Maybe after seeing the foolish Tennessee winners, they were super cautious.
The idea of keeping their job and living in their tiny one-story house evaporated once the funds showed up in their account.
(Note to TN couple....This my friend, is how you claim a jackpot!!!)
I think this was a well thought-out operation....
Another article said that the moving van showed up at their house on Thursday (according to neighbors....) and then the couple claimed the ticket on Friday....(AWESOME!!!)
When reporters showed up at their home...no one was there to answer....(DOUBLE AWESOMENESS!!!)
So the reporters turned to the neighbors to try a get information...
It is possible that it took so long if they were wanting to sell their home as reporters said this couple just purchase that home a year ago....(and now they are completely moved out....)
Also, it does not say how many trust or charities were set up but I know it takes time to get everything in order (forming the trust/charities, filing the paperwork, getting info back from the IRS etc....)
Or maybe the undisclosed location that they were going to was not available until now...who knows...
I think of it this way....taking six months to get everything in order is nothing compared to the rest of your life that you have to managed this windfall.
Imagine how they must feel right now....
the accounts are set,
the trust and charities are in place
they are out of the neighborhood
the ticket has been submitted and validated
All that is left is to collect and begin the new job as a philanthropist...
Well played....(yep...well played!)
Lottery drawing happens at 11pm(fast asleep). Official numbers are posted 11:03. Wakes up at 6am checks numbers and see I won. Sends text to boss to go <snip> herself(yes I said herself. She is two faced and possess a lot of qualities I don't like. Yes I believe this could be resolved if I feed her my kids for breakfast.) Calls State lottery to tell em I won and I'm coming to claim my prize. Calls bank for short term loan of 40,000. Rides off in to the sunset(? Even though its only the beginning of my new life) with this song on repeat as background music
That's why I had to laugh. The "experts" that haven't won a jackpot telling someone who has that they're stupid for claiming (pick one) too soon/not soon enough.