Hundreds gathered at the 7-Eleven in Chino Hills to celebrate the Powerball winning ticket. But who won? (Facebook)
The big Powerball jackpot winner from Melbourne Beach, Florida, is being announced today. But where is the winner from Chino Hills, California? The $1.5 billion jackpot was split among three winners: the Robinsons from Tennessee, the winners from Florida, and the Chino Hills winner. But no one has heard anything out of California. Is there a chance the winner could miss the deadline?
Here’s what you need to know.
The Powerball winner from Chino Hills, California, has a long time to claim his or her prize. Although the deadline for claiming a prize in Florida is just 180 days (or 60 days if you want a lump sum), the deadline for California is much longer. In fact, the Powerball jackpot winner in Chino Hills has one year to claim their winning ticket and get their money, according to the California lottery.
Many experts recommend waiting and not claiming a big jackpot win right away. Instead, they suggest getting an experienced attorney and setting up a trust for the funds before going public with the win. A Powerball win can really change your life and things can move fast once you’re in the public eye, so it’s often good to take your time. (As long as you don’t miss the deadline!) This is possibly why the California winner is waiting. He or she might also just be hoping the media frenzy will die down by the time they pick up their ticket.
California was the first state to announce that they had a jackpot winner. Chino Hills residents were so excited that hundreds gathered at the 7-Eleven where the winning ticket was sold and had an impromptu party at the store and in the parking lot. It’s likely there will still be a lot of media interest whenever the Chino Hills winner decides to come forward.
