40+ years of loyal lottery play finally delivers big win
By Kate Northrop
SHELTON, Conn. — A Connecticut couple rounding out 25 years together marked the occasion with another win worth celebrating: a $100,000 Powerball lottery prize.
One Connecticut couple hit the jackpot with each other, celebrating their 25th anniversary, and a $100,000 Powerball lottery prize made it feel even sweeter.
Joseph Freeman of Meriden has been a loyal lottery player for more than 40 years, and the July 12, 2025 Powerball drawing was the one that finally took him by surprise.
He would normally play his lucky numbers, but this time was different. When he visited Wheels Convenience Store on Old Stratford Road in Shelton, he adhered to the "system" of choosing numbers that his wife, Barbara, uses.
And it was that method that helped him match five of six winning numbers — just one short to win that night's $237.1 million Powerball jackpot.
Freeman's ticket matched four white ball numbers plus the Powerball number to win the games' third-tier prize of $50,000 and doubled his prize amount to $100,000 since he purchased his ticket with the Power Play option for an extra dollar.
"I was checking the ticket and checked it again," Freeman told the Connecticut Lottery. "Then checked it again. Then checked it again... It's still sinking in."
After multiple checks, his wife was the very first person he shared the exciting news with. He showed up at Lottery offices on July 23 to claim his lucky prize and share his and his wife's story with officials.
The winning numbers in the July 12, 2025 Powerball drawing are 8, 16, 24, 33, and 54, with Powerball number 18. The Power Play multiplier was 2.
The next Powerball annuity jackpot estimate for the drawing on Saturday, Aug. 2 currently stands at $410 million.
Powerball is currently offered for sale in 45 states, plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings are Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Tickets cost $2 each.
Powerball lottery results are published within minutes of the drawing at USA Mega (www.usamega.com). The USA Mega website provides lottery players in-depth information about the United States' two biggest multi-state lottery games, Mega Millions and Powerball.
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Congratulations on two fronts....twenty five years of marriage and a nice win to celebrate too!
Congrats and Happy Anniversary, enjoy.
Today l asked my DeepSeek Ai a very interesting question .
How much do l need to win in lottery to receive $1,000,000,000 cash after lump sum and after Tax ? The answer was interesting 🤔
To determine how much you need to win in the lottery to receive **$1,000,000,000 cash after lump sum and taxes**, we need to account for two main deductions:
1. **Lump-Sum Reduction**: Lottery jackpots are typically advertised as annuities (paid over 30 years), but winners usually opt for a lump-sum payout, which is roughly **40-60% of the advertised jackpot** (varies by lottery).
2. **Taxes**: Lottery winnings are subject to federal tax (up to **37%**) and often state tax (varies, but can be **0-13%**). For simplicity, we'll assume a **24% federal withholding** (since the top bracket applies) and an additional **13%** for state/local taxes (total **37%** tax).
### Calculation:
Let’s assume:
- The lump-sum payout is **50%** of the advertised jackpot.
- Total tax rate is **37%** (federal + state).
#### Step 1: After-Tax Lump Sum
You want **$1,000,000,000 after tax**:
\[
\text{After-Tax} = \text{Lump-Sum} \times (1 - \text{Tax Rate})
\]
\[
1,000,000,000 = \text{Lump-Sum} \times (1 - 0.37)
\]
\[
\text{Lump-Sum} = \frac{1,000,000,000}{0.63} \approx 1,587,301,587
\]
#### Step 2: Advertised Jackpot (Annuity Value)
Since the lump sum is ~50% of the advertised jackpot:
\[
\text{Advertised Jackpot} = \frac{1,587,301,587}{0.5} \approx 3,174,603,174
\]
### Final Answer:
You would need to win a **jackpot of approximately $3.17 billion (advertised annuity value)** to receive **$1 billion cash after lump-sum reduction and taxes**.
### Notes:
- **Varies by Lottery**: Some lotteries offer higher or lower lump-sum percentages (e.g., Powerball ~50%, Mega Millions ~60%).
- **Tax Differences**: If you’re in a state with **no income tax** (e.g., Texas, Florida), you’d only pay federal tax (~37%), meaning you’d need a smaller jackpot (~$2.65B).
- **Alternative Estimate**: A quick rule of thumb is that you’ll take home **~31.5%** of the advertised jackpot (after 50% lump sum and 37% tax). So:
\[
\text{Jackpot Needed} = \frac{1,000,000,000}{0.315} \approx 3.17 \text{B}
\]
**Conclusion**: Aim for a **$3B+ jackpot** to walk away with **$1B after taxes and lump sum**.
So Cool 😎 So l need to win $3,000,000,000
And the best part l plan to give away Ten Percent which is $100,000,000 Cash . Ok since am giving away Ten percent and l need to be a billionaire after that so l need to win $3,500,000,000 or $3.5 Billion 🤠💕🙏
You needed an AI to tell you that?
You could've just gone to the Jackpot Analysis page and figure that out yourself with a simple multiplication. Would've cost much less in electricity compared to an AI -- Chinese or not.
Lol Actually relationship with Ai is complicated and can't share all my interactions and conversations what l share are basic Chat so l can still keep my edge for me. Remember everyone wants to win but unfortunately only one can win or only Me lol 😝
Before l give Ai complex task it has to pass simple task like training a Puppy 🐶