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Calif. senior, 'Star Wars' fan, claims $425M Powerball

Michael Winter
USA TODAY
Powerball winner B. Raymond Buxton holds a check for $425 million on Tuesday in Sacramento, Calif. Buxton was wearing a shirt that featured a picture of Yoda and read, "Luck of the Jedi I have," according to lottery officials.

A Northern California retiree has claimed the $425 million Powerball jackpot from February, California Lottery officials and the man's publicist announced Tuesday.

Ray Buxton selected the cash option, which lottery officials said works out to about $242.2 million before federal taxes, according to a press release from Singer Associates in San Francisco. He bought the single winning ticket at a gas station in Milpitas, near San Jose.

He plans to use his winnings to travel and establish a foundation to combat child hunger and promote pediatric health and education.

"Once the initial shock passed, I couldn't sleep for days," said Buxton, who went to Sacramento to collect his fortune. Lottery officials said he wore a Star Wars shirt featuring Yoda that read, "Luck of the Jedi I have."

He said he told no one and has spent many hours at the computer rechecking his winning numbers for the sixth-largest Powerball jackpot in history.

"Sitting on a ticket of this value was very scary," said Buxton, who has regularly played the lottery for two decades. "It's amazing how a little slip of paper can change your life."

He's been working with an attorney and other professionals "on how to pragmatically utilize this windfall."

"My longer-term plan is trying to find a way to live a normal and discreet life," said Buxton, adding that he won't be doing media interviews "at this time."

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