Before coming forward, the Acostas did as California Lottery officials advise all their winners to do – read the Winner’s Handbook and assemble a team of legal and financial advisors to prepare them for their new life as lottery winners.
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They waited six months to claim it, though that doesn’t mean that the winners of January’s record $1.6 billion Powerball jackpot are any less rich.
Residents celebrated at the 7-Eleven store in Chino Hills, California, where the Acostas bought their winning Powerball ticket. The Acostas’ restraint was in stark contrast to the Robinsons, who flew to NY to appear on NBC’s Today Show and tell their story just two days after the winning draw and before they had even contacted the Tennessee Lottery.
Marvin and Mae Acosta, who requested that their hometown not be identified, will take the lump sum payment of $327.8 million for their winning January 12 Powerball ticket.
According to a Facebook post, Marvin and Mae Acosta of Chino Hills finally came forward to claim their $528.8 million share of the $1.6 billion Powerball prize. No additional details were released because they requested privacy.
Marvin and Mae Acosta, the winners of nearly $529 million, released a statement saying they are dedicating most of the prize to a trust and charities.
“We are thankful and blessed for the rare gift that has been placed in our care”, they said.
The Acostas have opted to take the cash option of $327.8 million, instead of the higher prize of $528 million that would have been paid out in 30 annual installments, lottery officials said.
The Tennessee winners were a small-town couple, John and Lisa Robinson of Munford, who also took the lump sum payment. The Robinsons said that they did not plan to stop working, despite their good fortune.
The other two winning tickets were sold in Tennessee and Florida.
They claimed their share of the Powerball jackpot, worth $528.8 million before taxes, and issued a statement that they plan to give nearly all of the money “to a trust and charities”. The store received a $1 million bonus for selling the ticket.
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In February, married couple Maureen Smith and David Kaltschmidt, who live in Melbourne Beach, Florida, were announced as one of the jackpot winners, said NBC News.
