Minnesota Dad Wins Third of Powerball

Project engineer from Minneapolis celebrates at press conference
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Aug 8, 2013 2:30 PM CDT
Minnesota Man Claims Share of $448M Powerball
Paul White, of Ham Lake, Minn. accompanied by his girlfriend Kim VanRees, right, lets out a holler during a news conference on Thursday, Aug. 8, 2013 in Minneapolis.    (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

A 45-year-old suburban Minneapolis man wasted little time today in claiming one-third of a $448 million Powerball jackpot, coming forward only hours after realizing he had won to reveal his good fortune to the world. Paul White, a project engineer from Ham Lake, said at a news conference at Minnesota State Lottery headquarters that his "significant other" called him this morning to say one of three winning tickets for last night's drawing had been sold in Minnesota. The other two were sold in New Jersey, but those who bought them hadn't come forward yet.

White said he checked the 10 tickets he had bought and realized he had nailed all six numbers on one of them. The divorced father of two teenagers said the ensuing hours had been a blur. "It's just surreal at this point. I don't think you guys can understand—it's crazy. No worries anymore. It's crazy," he said. Family members appeared alongside White at the joyful news conference. White, who said he is a native of Rhinelander, Wis., said he had a tough time convincing many of his family members that he had a winning ticket. "The only person who didn't feel I was BSing them was my mother. Whose name is Betty White, by the way." (More Powerball stories.)

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