$842M Powerball ticket sold in Grand Blanc: 'I hope it was one of our regulars'

One lucky Powerball player in Michigan is starting the new year in a big way — a very big way ― by winning the $842.4 million New Year's Day jackpot, according to the lottery game's website, and a Flint area store is benefiting from the victory.

The winning numbers for the Monday night drawing were 12, 21, 42, 44, 49 and 1. The Power Play multiplier was 3X. It has an estimated cash value prize of $425.2 million. The prize is the fifth-largest Powerball jackpot ever won and the 10th-largest won in U.S. Lottery history, officials said.

Two other winners in Florida and Texas matched five numbers with the Power Play for $2 million. Players in California, Connecticut, Florida and Maryland matched five numbers for $1 million prizes.

Officials said Tuesday the winning ticket was sold at the Food Castle of Grand Blanc at 3035 East Grand Blanc Road. The store is an hour north of Detroit.

"I don't know who won. I hope it was one of our regulars," said Bill Nannoshi, owner of Food Castle, on Tuesday morning.

Suzy Mandrell, an employee at the Food Castle, was just happy the winner was likely someone local.

"I'm just happy somebody in town won it," said Mandrell, who learned of the jackpot Tuesday morning from a news reporter's phone call.

The store will receive a $50,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket, alongside additional commissions already made from selling cash prizes and lottery tickets, said Jake Harris, a Michigan Lottery spokesperson.

The jackpot win and store commission has Food Castle's owners feeling optimistic.

The family-run business will likely reinvest the ticket sale commission into further renovating the store, said the owners' son, Jacob Nannoshi, 20, of West Bloomfield, gesturing to the well-stocked aisles around him. 

"It felt crazy. Finally, in Michigan, something like this happens," Jacob Nannoshi said. “It’s nice to hear it. It’s actually good for the community.”

Officials said the identity of the winner will be unknown until the person comes forward to claim the prize. The winner has one year from the date of the drawing, Harris said.

"When you're talking about hundreds of millions of dollars that have been funded by public dollars, it's important to show that real people are winning real life-changing prizes," he said. "Coming forward is a way to accomplish that goal."

Why winner will eventually be identified

Unlike other states that allow lottery winners to remain anonymous, the Powerball winner will eventually have to be identified.

Under Michigan law, players who win more than $10,000 playing state-only games can remain anonymous, but that's not the case for multi-state games such as Mega Millions, Powerball and Lucky for Life. The winner's name, city of residence and the amount won are considered public record.

State lotto officials have said revealing a winner's identity is about maintaining integrity and transparency.

"We feel it's important to show that real people are winning these lottery prizes. It goes back to the transparency and integrity of the game," Harris said in September.

A bill that would have changed the requirement and let winners remain anonymous was approved in the then GOP-led House in May 2021 but never got considered in the Senate. State Rep. Pat Outman, R-Six Lakes, reintroduced the legislation in the current session with Rep. Bob Bezotte, R-Howell, but it faces uncertain prospects in the Democratic-controlled chamber.

In Michigan, a trust cannot claim a prize. A lottery group can, but it must be divided. Experts recommend telling as few people as possible after winning a lottery prize and finding an attorney and a financial planner. None of this is provided by the Michigan Lottery, which advises winners to make an appointment before arriving at its Lansing headquarters to claim a major prize.

An Oakland County woman who won a $70 million Powerball jackpot prize told The Detroit News that three years after winning, anonymity would have saved her from "hell on earth."

More:Michigan $70M lottery winner says hitting jackpot 'is a gift and a curse'

How payments could be divided

There were 34 consecutive drawings without a winner to claim the jackpot. The last time it was won was on Oct. 11 when a ticket in California snagged a whopping $1.765 billion grand prize.

Monday's winner can take an escalating annuity payment, allowing the payout to increase 5% each year, starting with $12.7 million before tax, Harris said.

The winner could also choose a one-time cash option payout of $425.2 million before taxes, Harris said. Both options include a 24% federal tax and 4.25% state tax, he said.

"There's no right or wrong way to take the prize," Harris said. "It's just whatever fits their financial needs."

Jackpots like these help local businesses across the state, Acting Michigan Lottery Commissioner Jessica Weare said Tuesday in a statement.

For every dollar spent on the lottery, approximately 61 cents goes to fund prizes for players, Harris said. Of the remaining cash, 27 cents goes to a Lottery beneficiary program supporting state public schools, nine cents goes to retailer commissions and three cents goes toward operational costs, he said. The School Aid Fund received more than $1.3 billion in 2023, marking the Lottery's second largest contribution to the fund and fifth consecutive contribution topping a billion dollars, Harris said.

"Everyone at the lottery is excited to have a Powerball jackpot winner in Michigan," Weare said in the statement.

amunoz@detroitnews.com

Staff Writer Sarah Rahal contributed.