Biggest Powerball Jackpot Win

A courteous stranger let the 84-year-old Gloria MacKenzie step ahead of her in line at the supermarket one day and thanks to that stranger Mackenzie ended up winning the largest Powerball jackpot in history.

In addition to becoming a multi-millionaire, MacKenzie generously gifted her children with her money. Her recent purchase of a 1.2 million dollar home in Jacksonville, FL, shows that she was not left out of the deal either. Formerly a teacher, MacKenzie moved to Zephyrhills, Florida, a popular retirement destination for retirees. Following the death of her World War II veteran husband, Ralph, she moved there by herself.

The duplex she rented at the time was modest and grey. Located across from a cow pasture, it was small, outdated, and poorly maintained. In addition to the winning ticket, MacKenzie purchased four more Powerball tickets for a total of ten dollars. Wednesday, May 19th, 2013 was the day for the Powerball numbers to be announced. After spending all night waiting for the results, MacKenzie went to check early the next morning. Her winning ticket was already in her hand before the numbers were drawn.

Excitedly, MacKenzie began calling different lawyers and financial advisers, asking them questions and filling out paperwork as soon as possible. However, MacKenzie didn’t claim her prize until June 5th as it was important for her to have everything ready in advance. Given her age, it was recommended that she rather take the money in a lump sum. After taxes, this amounted to $278 million out of nearly $371 million. Upon claiming her prize, she divided the money with her son, Scott.

The next thing MacKenzie did was move out of her apartments in Zephyrhills and purchase the 1.2 million dollar home in a golf-focused gated community in Jacksonville, FL near her son’s house.

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