Phoenix – Arizona Lottery officials on Monday identified Matthew Good, a married man in his 30s, as the second winner of last week’s $587.5 million Powerball jackpot.
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Good, who lives in the wealthy Phoenix suburb of Fountain Hills, took the one-time payout of $192 million from the Nov. 28 drawing because of the nation’s looming fiscal cliff.
He bought $10 worth of tickets and kept the winner in the visor of his car overnight before realizing he was a multimillionaire.
After Good and his wife learned of their good fortune, he pulled together a team of financial advisers and decided to take his share this month to avoid potentially higher taxes in 2013.
His name was released in response to a public records request. Good initially decided to remain anonymous.
He gave $20 to the cashier of a Fountain Hills convenience store, and the clerk nudged him to spend the entire amount on tickets. He declined the offer.
Good and his lawyer met with lottery officials, and he opted to take the cash option. Lottery officials said his wife owns half the prize because Arizona is a community property state.
Karen Bach, a lottery official, said Good is smart and wants to take time to make a solid financial plan and set up a charitable entity to aid causes that he and his wife support. Lottery officials say the man told them he enjoys his job and has no immediate plans to quit.
Lottery officials wouldn’t say what he does for a living.
Good previously issued a statement that said: “It is difficult to express just how thankful we are for this wonderful gift. We are extremely grateful and feel fortunate to now have an increased ability to support our charities and causes. Obviously, this has been incredibly overwhelming and we have always cherished our privacy.”
A mechanic and his wife, Mark and Cindy Hill, of Dearborn, Mo., already have claimed their half of the multistate Powerball prize.
The jackpot was the second-largest in U.S. history and set off a nationwide buying frenzy. At one point, tickets were selling at nearly 130,000 a minute.
Before the Nov. 28 drawing, the jackpot had rolled over 16 consecutive times without any winners. In a Mega Millions drawing in March, three ticket buyers shared a $656 million jackpot, the largest lottery payout of all time.
Lottery officials said the Arizona couple moved from Pennsylvania a year ago. While in Pennsylvania, they regularly played the lottery but had done so only twice since moving to Arizona, Bach said.
After realizing he had won, Good and his wife spent the weekend trying to recover from the shock, Bach said.
No stories about things like Jewish life in places like Cleveland and Miami, but we are reading about the Powerball gentile who won in Arizona? Exactly the sanity we need in the jewish community.
Hey Uncle Mathew, don’t forget your nephew on chanukah. It’s been awhile since we spoke but we need to get together