GRAND BLANC, Mich. – A trio of lottery players in Michigan just claimed the largest Powerball prize in state history.
The three-member “Breakfast Club” bought a winning Powerball ticket at the Food Castle of Grand Blanc on 3035 East Grand Blanc Road.
They matched all the numbers from the Jan. 1, 2024, drawing: 12-21-42-44-49, PB: 01.
Food Castle of Grand Blanc received a $50,000 bonus commission for selling the winning ticket.
Mark K. Harder, an attorney and the representative of “The Breakfast Club,” said this was a first-time large jackpot for the other two members of the lottery club, who typically buy Powerball tickets when the jackpot gets to be hundreds of millions.
The morning after the drawing, a club member saw on the news and social media that the jackpot-winning ticket had been sold at the Food Castle of Grand Blanc and went to check the numbers on his cellphone.
When he realized he held the winning ticket, he was so excited he dropped his phone -- but he and his wife still went to their respective jobs.
“As you can imagine, the club members have felt so many emotions since realizing their ticket was ‘the one,’” Harder said. “They’ve been elated and overwhelmed, thrilled, and nervous. 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.”
“The Breakfast Club” chose to receive the prize as a one-time lump sum payment of about $425 million, rather than annual payments for the full amount.
After required income tax withholdings of 24% federal tax (about $102 million) and 4.25% state tax (about $18 million), the club received about $305 million.
With their winnings, they plan to retire earlier than expected, travel, and share with immediate family members and nonprofits.
“This prize will positively affect our family for generations to come,” a club member said. “Up until now, we have led a comfortable life and anticipated retiring someday. Now, we’re not financially bound to a specific timetable. The world -- and our opportunities -- have opened up in some incredible ways. This has been life changing for us.”
The $842.4 million jackpot is the largest Powerball prize ever won in Michigan, and the second largest lottery prize ever won in Michigan. A $1.05 billion Mega Millions jackpot won in January 2021 holds the record for the largest jackpot won in Michigan. The last Michigan player to win a Powerball jackpot was Cristy Davis, of Waterford. Davis won the game’s $70 million jackpot on Feb. 12, 2020.