GRAND BLANC TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A mid-Michigan couple and a lawyer from the west side of the state were announced Tuesday as winners of an $842.4 million Powerball lottery jackpot from a ticket purchased on New Year's Day.
The Breakfast Club lottery club opted for a cash lump sum of $305 million after taxes, Michigan Lottery Commissioner Suzanna Shkreli told reporters outside the Food Castle convenience store in Grand Blanc Township near Flint, where the winning ticket was sold.
The winning numbers drawn were: 12, 21, 42, 44, 49 and red Powerball: 1.
Speaking on behalf of The Breakfast Club, member and attorney Mark Harder said the middle-aged couple has ''been elated and overwhelmed, thrilled and nervous'' since realizing their ticket was the winner.
''They've gone from shock and sleepless nights to giving careful thought as to how this once-in-a-lifetime event will transform their lives,'' Harder said.
''The morning after the drawing, we heard through the news that the winning ticket had been sold here,'' Harder said. "(The husband) looked up the ticket numbers on his phone, and he was so stunned he dropped his phone.''
In a statement, the couple, whose names were not revealed Tuesday, said the prize will positively affect their family for generations to come.
''Up until now, we've led a comfortable life and anticipated retiring someday,'' according to the statement read by Harder. "Now, we're not financially bound to any specific timetable. The world and our opportunities have opened up in some incredible ways.''
