Powerball jackpot rises to $825 million, 5th largest in US history
By Scott Malone, USA TODAY | USATODAY
An American lottery winner had $824 million when he was found dead on his Nevada ranch in May after a long stretch of drought.
The owner of what is believed to be the largest jackpot in U.S. history died in a five-car accident near his house after picking up millions in cash and securities, including $275 million in Powerball money. His name is Michael Schenkman.
“I can’t believe I’m talking about this,” Schenkman said of winning the multimillion-dollar lottery jackpot in July. “I was never any type of lottery player. I’ve always felt they’re not fair.”
In the past year, several states have legalized lotteries. Florida is among a handful hoping to add lotteries to their constitution as soon as this year.
But in Nevada, where lottery tickets are sold the old-fashioned way — by pulling a box out of a box of tickets — the state’s constitution bars the sale of gambling and wagering.
The lottery ticket was sold to a Nevada man, with his name and address on the ticket, who purchased it in October 2005 and died last month in his home state, Schenkman’s family told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Michael Schenkman was one of three people to win more than $800 million in the Powerball, MegaMillions and Lotto 6/49 lotteries in 2013. The previous largest jackpot was the $868 million won by Betty Blanshay’s ticket in 2006.
Schenkman said he never saw a ticket that was anything other than legal. He said he had not been interested in lotteries until he won the mega jackpot.
According to the National Lottery, Schenkman’s name was not on the list of all 2,437 winners.
A spokeswoman for the National Lottery said there is no record of any such winner.
Schenkman was found dead in his home Wednesday, according the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Family members told the newspaper he was found unresponsive in what is believed to be a four-