A convenience store owned by an Indian American sold the winning $1.5 billion mega million jackpot ticket that matched all six numbers in the draw on Oct. 23.
The store, owned by Indian immigrant C.J. Patel, is located on a rural crossroad outside Simpsonville, South Carolina.
As soon as the news went out, the store was crowded with media and locals as lottery representatives put up a banner reading ‘Luck Struck Here!’
Stores selling lottery tickets typically receive 1 percent of the proceeds and the state law puts a cap on the shopkeeper’s share at $50,000, Patel estimated that after taxes he will get about $30,000 which he plans to split with the store’s four employees.
The Greenville News said the chances of winning the lottery were less than 1 in 300 million. Although it was announced that the winner had bought the ticket from Patel’s store, the winner’s identity remained unknown to even the lottery officials, according to Greenville News. Even Patel isn’t sure of the person that bought the lottery.
‘I have no clue. No idea. We had a lot of customers yesterday, so I have no idea,’ the Daily Mail quoted Patel as saying.
South Carolina is one of the eight states along with Delaware, Georgia, Kansas, Maryland, North Dakota, Ohia, and Texas that allow lottery winners to remain anonymous, the Daily Mail said. The winner must claim the amount within 180 days.
‘The ticket buyer has 180 days to step forward and that person can choose thereafter to keep his or her name private,” Greenville News quoted Tony Cooper, Chief Operating Officer of the state’s lottery as saying.
The Daily Mail said that SC Education Lottery sent out a tweet asking the winner to contact them. ‘’Our message to the $1.5 BILLION #Mega Millions jackpot winner: Sign the back of the ticket, place the ticket in a safe location, speak with a trusted advisor and CALL THE LOTTERY at 1-866-736-9819,’ the tweet read. ‘Take a deep breath and enjoy the moment!’’ the tweet read.
Greenville News said Patel, who was born in Gujarat in India and moved to the U.S. in 1996, hadn’t had the chance to share the news with his three school-going sons. He was sworn to secrecy until the official 11 a.m. announcement on Oct. 24.
Patel has owned convenience stores around Simpsonville for about 20 years and is married to Jayshree Patel, a pharmacist.
“This is the land of opportunity,” Patel told Greenville News. “We work hard for our kids.”