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