Shopper returns orange juice, walks away with $315 million windfall
New Jersey Accountant Wins $315 Million Powerball Jackpot
Tayeb Souami, a married father-of-two from New Jersey, became an instant millionaire on May 19, 2018, when he won a staggering $315 million (around £236 million) from the Powerball lottery.
At the time of his win, Souami was an accountant for a food importer. The life-changing event occurred unexpectedly, as Souami had initially forgotten about the two lottery tickets he purchased with the refund money from the orange juice return.
The next day, Souami decided to check his tickets at a local 7-Eleven store. Upon scanning the tickets, the store's staff member exclaimed, "Oh my god, oh my god". Realising the magnitude of the win, she informed Souami that he had scooped a nine-figure prize.
Souami, initially thinking there was an error with the machine, took his winning ticket to the cashier for confirmation. The staff member scanned the receipt on her own system, and upon realizing the win, she informed him that he had indeed won "big" and "very big".
At a press conference held after his extraordinary win, Souami confirmed that his priority was to use the lottery winnings to support his son and daughter, who were aged 20 and 17 at the time. He expressed no interest in splashing out on anything extravagant for himself or his wife but did suggest he would be buying a lot more orange juice.
This revelation brought laughter from the audience, as Souami admitted that he had developed a newfound love for orange juice since his wife had demanded the return of a carton because it was "too expensive" and could be bought for half the price elsewhere.
Prior to his win, Souami had refinanced his home to cover the cost of his kids' college tuition. After his win, he confirmed that he would be using the winnings to ensure a secure future for his family.
The article does not mention any other jackpots won by Souami. It was originally published on August 5, 2024.
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