Winner of $1.3B Powerball jackpot identified as Laos immigrant who is battling cancer
Saephan, one of the jackpot winners, said he 'prayed to God to help me'
The owner of Las Palmitas Mini Market, Navor Herrera, received a $1M check during a press conference with Powerball officials on Thursday morning. (FOX 11)
The winner of the $1.3 billion Powerball jackpot has been identified as an immigrant from Laos who is in the midst of battling cancer.
The Oregon Lottery announced Monday that Cheng "Charlie" Saephan, 46, won the fourth-largest Powerball jackpot, which was drawn earlier this month. He will split the prize with his wife, Duanpen, and friend Laiza Chao.
Chao gave Saephan $100 toward his purchase of more than 20 tickets for the game.
Saephan, a longtime Portland resident born in Laos, purchased the winning ticket at a Portland-area Plaid Pantry a day before the April 7 drawing that scored him, his wife and friend their $1.3 billion windfall, the lottery said.
The win was particularly meaningful for Cheng "Charlie" Saephan and his wife, as he is facing a recurrence of cancer. (Oregon Lottery)
The win was particularly meaningful for Saephan and his wife, as he is facing a recurrence of cancer.
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To collect the massive windfall, the group accepted a one-time cash lump sum of about $422.3 million to divide among the three of them. It is relatively common for lottery winners to go that route, as FOX Business has previously reported.
Saephan and his wife will use the winnings to live "worry free" amid his cancer battle, according to the Oregon Lottery.
Powerball tickets on display at Blue Bird Liquor in Hawthorne, California, Oct. 10, 2023. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times via / Getty Images)
"I prayed to God to help me," Saephan said. "My kids are young and I’m not that healthy."
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Lottery players in Oregon have a year to claim the top prize and, in most cases, cannot remain anonymous.
The Oregon Lottery said the winner verification process "involves security measures and vetting that will take time before a winner can be announced."
The Saephans and Chao aren’t the only ones seeing a windfall from the $1.3 billion jackpot drawing.
The Plaid Pantry that sold the ticket gets $100,000 as well, according to the state lottery. ( / iStock)
The Plaid Pantry that sold the ticket gets $100,000 as well, according to the state lottery.
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The convenience store was no stranger to lottery jackpots, having sold the ticket for a $3.3 million Megabucks grand prize in 2023, according to the Oregon Lottery.
Powerball’s current jackpot hovered around $178 million. Meanwhile, fellow lottery Mega Millions has a $257 million pot up for grabs later Tuesday.