Powerball jackpot.....500 million and growing!

[Deberg_1990]

Will you partake?



http://abcnews.go.com/Business/power...ry?id=17812739


The jackpot for Wednesday's Powerball drawing now stands at $500 million -- the richest Powerball pot ever -- and it's likely to get even sweeter.

"Back in January, we moved Powerball from being a $1 game to $2," says Mary Neubauer, a spokeswoman for the Iowa lottery. "We thought at the time that this would mean bigger and faster-growing jackpots."

It's proved true. The total, she says, "has been taking huge jumps -- another $100 million since Saturday." (The most recent drawing, on Saturday night, produced no winning numbers.)

Until now, the biggest Powerball pot on record -- $365 million -- was won in 2006 by eight Lincoln, Neb., co-workers.

In Photos: Biggest Lotto Jackpot Winners

Lottery officials in Iowa, where Powerball is headquartered, have started getting phone calls from all around the world. "When it gets this big," says Neubauer, "we start getting inquiries from Canada and Europe from people wanting to know if they can buy a ticket. They ask if they can FedEx us the money."

The answer she has to give them, she says, is: "Sorry, no. You have to buy a ticket in a member state from a licensed retail location."

About 80 percent of players don't choose their own Powerball number, opting instead for a computer-generated one.

Asked if there's anything players can do to improve their odds of winning, Neubauer says no -- apart from buying a ticket, of course.

Lottery officials put the odds of winning Wednesday's Powerball pot at one in 175 million, meaning you are 25 times more likely to win an Academy Award.

Skip Garibaldi, a professor of mathematics at Emory University in Atlanta, provides additional perspective: You are three times more likely to die from a falling coconut, he says; seven times more likely to die from fireworks, "and way more likely to die from flesh-eating bacteria" (115 fatalities a year) than you are to win the Powerball lottery.

Segueing, then, from death to life, Garibaldi notes that even the best physicians, equipped with the most up-to-date equipment, can't predict the timing of a child's birth with much accuracy.

"But let's suppose, however, that your doctor managed to predict the day, the hour, the minute and the second your baby would be born," Garibaldi says. The doctor's uncanny prediction would be "at least 100 times" more likely than your winning Wednesday.

Even though he knows the odds all too well, Garibaldi says he'll usually play the lottery. "When it gets this big, I'll buy a couple of tickets. It's kind of exciting. You get this feeling of anticipation. You get to think about the fantasy."

So will he be purchasing two tickets for Wednesday's Powerball? "I can't," he tells ABC News. "I'm in California" -- one of eight states that doesn't offer Powerball.

[Iowanian]

When I have the winning numbers tonight, I'm taking lump sum payments.

I'm just not risking the future of my children's fiances, and lets face it....

When I'm shooting a unicorn out of a helicopter with my shotgun, I could fall out and screw my family out of the money by early death.

[|Zach|]

Originally Posted by Iowanian

When I have the winning numbers tonight, I'm taking lump sum payments.

I'm just not risking the future of my children's fiances, and lets face it....

When I'm shooting a unicorn out of a helicopter with my shotgun, I could fall out and screw my family out of the money by early death.

Yea, I have thought about that a lot. But isn't it only a risk if you act in a way that makes it a risk. Or are you going with the idea that so much money would make you make bad decisions...even with the best intentions.

On one hand I like the idea of getting it over time to create a ceiling on the craziness but on the other hand with that lump sum there are so many ways to just let that money sit and make more money from it.

[Iowanian]

I don't know Zach.

I'm basically 40. 3 of my friends from school have died.
Someone could live like a Quaker and get into an accident or slip in the shower or wake up with cancer. I had a friend from college whose family won 2 separate lotteries. He's dead too.

I'm confident that brideowanian and I wouldn't be irresponsible with that payout. I would set up a trust to make sure things were taken care either way. I'm charitable by nature and the only way to handle that is to set up endowments, trusts and boards to handle it so you always have an easy answer to direct requests to...and man would them come in.

[Bwana]

Originally Posted by |Zach|

Yea, I have thought about that a lot. But isn't it only a risk if you act in a way that makes it a risk. Or are you going with the idea that so much money would make you make bad decisions...even with the best intentions.

On one hand I like the idea of getting it over time to create a ceiling on the craziness but on the other hand with that lump sum there are so many ways to just let that money sit and make more money from it.

Most people take the cash. Looks like some sorry bastard in GA didn't claim 77M as well.

Here is a bit of history:

Powerball Winners
	2012 Winners Anonymous Delaware October 3, 2012 Cash $50,000,000.00 annuity $33,046,926.64 cash Mary and Brian Lohse Iowa September 26, 2012 Cash $202,100,000.00 annuity $129,786,076.76 cash Donald Lawson Michigan August 15, 2012 Cash $337,000,000.00 annuity $224,655,690.17 cash Noel Peel Connecticut June 23, 2012 Cash $60,000,000.00 annuity $39,814,200.40 cash The Shipping 20 Iowa June 13, 2012 Cash $241,000,000 annuity $160,334,459.84 cash SEPTA 48 Pennsylvania April 25, 2012 Cash $172,700,000.00 annuity $107,533,278.77 cash Joseph & Celeste Tamburello New Jersey March 21, 2012 Cash $70,000,000.00 annuity $41,543,026.71 cash Ohana Trust Rhode Island March 7, 2012 Cash $60,000,000.00 annuity $37,059,913.53 cash Tara Ramirez/Case Park LLC New York February 25, 2012 Cash $70,000,000.00 annuity $43,668,122.27 cash Louise White/Sherbert Trust Rhode Island February 11, 2012 Cash $336,400,000.00 annuity $209,966,435.24 cash
	2011 Winners Name Withheld Maryland December 24, 2011 Cash $128,800,000.00 annuity $81,295,926.70 cash Steven Lloyd Pennsylvania November 19, 2011 Cash $59,900,000.00 annuity $37,622,580.20 cash Putnam Ave. Family Trust Connecticut November 2, 2011 Cash $254,200,000.00 annuity $151,664,457.51 cash Kathy Scruggs Georgia September 14, 2011 Cash $25,000,000.00 annuity $15,124,016.94 cash Name Withheld Maryland September 7, 2011 Cash $108,800,000.00 annuity $65,294,048.66 cash Thomas Morris Minnesota August 10, 2011 Cash $228,900,000.00 annuity $123,602,685.09 cash Unclaimed Georgia June 29, 2011 Unclaimed $77,100,000.00 annuity $40,827,464.52 cash Jimmy Freeman Massachusetts June 8, 2011 Cash $25,600,000.00 annuity $13,493,470.86 cash 1937 Flatbush Avenue Dodgers LLC New York June 1, 2011 Cash $201,900,000.00 annuity $106,159,636.69 cash Bill Swanson Indiana April 23, 2011 Cash $74,000,000.00 annuity $37,728,064.69 cash Michael Reardon & Darin Fox Indiana April 6, 2011 Cash $221,700,000.00 annuity $111,737,725.76 cash Carvajal Family Group Florida February 26, 2011 Cash $182,100,000.00 annuity $91,187,716.61 cash Stephen Kirwin New York January 22, 2011 Cash $122,100,000.00 annuity $61,224,679.58 cash
	2010 Winners Jeffrey & Christine Pintuff New York December 25, 2010 Cash $48,800,000.00 annuity $24,856,581.43 cash Shim Partnership Illinois December 11, 2010 Cash $18,750,000.00 annuity $9,560,429.66 cash Muncie Meade Kentucky December 11, 2010 Cash $18,750,000.00 annuity $9,560,429.66 cash Sheila Verke Arizona December 1, 2010 Cash $95,300,000.00 annuity $49,995,249.50 cash Team Victory Michigan November 6, 2010 Cash $128,600,000.00 annuity $69,606,573.55 cash Ziegler Family Revocable Trust Florida October 6, 2010 Cash $61,500,000.00 annuity $34,553,793.03 cash Gerald Render Georgia September 18, 2010 Cash $116,000,000.00 annuity $63,050,992.65 cash William Smith West Virginia August 21, 2010 Cash $79,000,000.00 annuity $44,347,250.99 cash H & N Family Partnership Louisiana July 31, 2010 Cash $85,700,000.00 annuity $47,770,485.70 cash Elizabeth Choras-Hanna Florida July 10, 2010 Cash $73,800,000.00 annuity $38,929,055.11 cash Kimberly Claassen Montana June 23, 2010 Cash $48,450,000.00 annuity $25,079,338.57 cash Lucky 13 Plus One Ohio June 23, 2010 Cash $48,450,000.00 annuity $25,079,338.57 cash 2010 Blind Trust Ohio June 2, 2010 Cash $261,600,000 annuity $134,917,238.27 cash Chris Shaw Missouri April 21, 2010 Cash $258,500,000.00 annuity $124,875,122.48 cash Sandra Mcneil New Jersey March 13, 2010 Cash $211,700,000.00 annuity $101,600,000.00 cash Frank Griffin North Carolina February 6, 2010 Cash $141,400,000.00 annuity $69,682,459.88 cash Name Withheld Arkansas January 2, 2010 Cash $25,000,000.00 annuity $12,153,621.78 cash
	2009 Winners Rob Anderson Kentucky December 26, 2009 Cash $128,600,000.00 annuity $63,456,864.77 cash The End of the Rainbow Trust Oklahoma November 21, 2009 Cash $32,800,000.00 annuity $16,727,823.43 cash Donald Damon Kansas November 11, 2009 Cash $96,600,000.00 annuity $48,367,329.08 cash Doug Miron Wisconsin October 14, 2009 Cash $31,400,000.00 annuity $16,703,507.90 cash Dr. William Steele Florida October 3, 2009 Cash $189,000,000.00 annuity $101,160,403.68 cash Solomon Jackson Jr. South Carolina August 19, 2009 Cash $259,900,000.00 annuity $129,777,212.43 cash Rahul Patel Connecticut June 27, 2009 Cash $25,000,000.00 annuity $12,506,253.12 cash Jeff Wilson North Carolina June 20, 2009 Cash $88,100,000 annuity $42,459,584.00 cash Neal Wanless South Dakota May 27, 2009 Cash $232,100,000 annuity $118,005,530.33 cash Rockson, LLC Washington D.C. April 8, 2009 Cash $144,000,000 annuity $79,681,116.60 cash Anonymous Delaware February 28, 2009 Cash $87,200,000 annuity $46,629,112.16 cash Palmira Nicolo Pennsylvania February 28, 2009 Cash $87,200,000 annuity $46,629,112.16 cash GMTR Investments, LLC Indiana January 17, 2009 Cash $163,200,000 annuity $97,966,541.99 cash
	2008 Winners SWS Investments, LLC Indiana November 22, 2008 Cash $57,600,000 annuity $30,815,336.43 cash Myrna Shearer Pennsylvania October 29, 2008 Cash $58,600,000 annuity $30,207,012.05 cash 22 Postal Workers Pennsylvania October 4, 2008 Cash $20,000,000 annuity $10,282,776.35 cash Roswell Fun Havers New Mexico September 27, 2008 Cash $206,000,000 annuity $102,903,652.63 cash Barrie Edwards Family Pennsylvania August 2, 2008 Cash $86,300,000 annuity $42,529,765.37 cash Heritage Trust Oklahoma July 2, 2008 Cash $84,900,000 annuity $41,305,108.74 cash Emilia Delgado Louisiana May 31, 2008 Cash $34,100,000 annuity $16,195,787.02 cash Jonathan Vargas South Carolina May 17, 2008 Cash $35,300,000 annuity $17,175,336.18 cash Paul Rosenau Minnesota May 3, 2008 Cash $180,100,000 annuity $88,020,951.40 cash Monongalia County Tax Office 8 West Virginia March 15, 2008 Cash $276,300,000 annuity $139,421,731.44 cash Carl Hunter Louisiana January 16, 2008 Cash $97,000,000 annuity $48,478,863.05 cash
	2007 Winners Linville Lee Huff Kentucky December 12, 2007 Cash $33,600,000 annuity $16,471,526.51 cash Sheila Botelho Rhode Island November 28, 2007 Cash $151,900,000 annuity $75,231,092.06 cash Eugene and Stanislawa Markiewicz Colorado October 10, 2007 Annuity $20,000,000 annuity $9,402,914.90 cash John Lorusso Connecticut October 3, 2007 Cash $15,000,000 annuity $7,035,647.28 cash William Heid Jr. Louisiana September 29, 2007 Cash $15,000,000 annuity $7,035,647.28 cash Nukote 22 Kentucky September 26, 2007 Cash $61,500,000 annuity $28,558,114.97 cash Steve Peot Wisconsin September 5 , 2007 Cash $29,100,000 annuity $13,678,094.29 cash Coterel & Hiles Family Indiana August 25, 2007 Cash $314,300,000 annuity $145,985,099.64 cash Don & Joyce Harvey Oklahoma June 27, 2007 Cash $105,800,000 annuity $46,837,771.64 cash Felipe Piña New Mexico May 23, 2007 Cash $62,800,000.00 annuity $29,450,223.26 cash Dale Chellis & Toni Sergott New Hampshire April 28, 2007 Cash $67,000,000.00 annuity $31,919,876..64 cash Dick Sandlin South Carolina April 4, 2007 Cash $15,000,000.00 annuity $7,122,507.12 cash Name Withheld Wisconsin March 31, 2007 Cash $40,700,000.00 annuity $19,321,993.13 cash Daniel Gannon Oregon March 17, 2007 Cash $182,700,000.00 annuity $88,067,283.39 cash Fece & Barbara Salzman Arizona January 27, 2007 Cash $15,000,000.00 annuity $7,002,801.02 cash Wilson Family Missouri January 24, 2007 Cash $254,000,000.00 annuity $120,508,183.07 cash

[|Zach|]

Originally Posted by Iowanian

I don't know Zach.

I'm basically 40. 3 of my friends from school have died.
Someone could live like a Quaker and get into an accident or slip in the shower or wake up with cancer. I had a friend from college whose family won 2 separate lotteries. He's dead too.

I'm confident that brideowanian and I wouldn't be irresponsible with that payout. I would set up a trust to make sure things were taken care either way. I'm charitable by nature and the only way to handle that is to set up endowments, trusts and boards to handle it so you always have an easy answer to direct requests to...and man would them come in.

I feel like one thing I would do is direct all money requests for a certain person to filter and handle. It would be overwhelming the amount of people that would hit you up...for themselves and for causes...obviously you want to help people but it would be never ending.

That part would be tough. Almost make a clearing house for my charity other than obvious instances where I initiate the giving.

[Halfcan]

When I win tonight I am not telling Anyone. Just slowly start having shitloads of money-lol

[Bump]

k I bought 5 tickets, why was it $2 each? I thought they were $1?

[Halfcan]

Originally Posted by Bump

k I bought 5 tickets, why was it $2 each? I thought they were $1?

It was Aliens.

[Rasputin]

I may have won?

[Rasputin]

Nuthooks.


Well do you win anything if you get the powerball right?

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by KC Tattoo

I may have won?

so your saying there is a chance?

[dmahurin]

Originally Posted by KC Tattoo

Nuthooks.


Well do you win anything if you get the powerball right?

4 bucks

[Rasputin]

Originally Posted by dmahurin

4 bucks

So I can claim $4.oo of the lottery that held $580,000,000.00


AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!WOOOOOOOOOT!!!!!!!!!!

Duh WINNING!

[NJChiefsFan]

Just a little interesting note to put something in perspective. In honor of the cool history channel show a few months back...If you wanted to gain as much money as Rockefeller had(in today's money), you would have to win tonight's powerball roughly 1,147 times.

[tk13]

Reports by several news organizations on Twitter are saying winning tickets were sold in Arizona and Missouri.

I'm not sure if that's it or just what they have so far.