written and last updated by
Sam Smith at
23 Aug 2024
Journalist, Editorial Department
A resident of Aspley, Queensland, has won the grand prize of AUD 100 million (approximately RUB 6.15 billion) in the Powerball lottery draw held on August 22. This jackpot marks the third-largest in Australian history and the biggest ever in the state.
While the winner's name has not been disclosed, she shared her experience with the media. According to the woman, she purchased the ticket as a birthday gift for herself and had a strange feeling that she would win. "The funniest part is that I almost lost the ticket! I had to stop on my way home from the store because I thought I had left it there. After that, I put it in the glove compartment and completely forgot about it until this morning," she recounted.
Rumors about the mysterious lottery winner from Queensland reached her during her morning jog. Upon returning home, she decided to check her ticket. "I'm afraid to breathe, in case it's not true. We're in complete shock. We don't even know what comes next. We've worked so hard our whole lives to achieve what we have, and we really don't live extravagantly," she admitted.
The winner noted that she can now plan a family vacation, mentioning Fiji and New Zealand as her desired destinations.
The winning numbers for draw No. 1475 were 16, 24, 11, 4, 10, 18, and 23, with the Powerball number being 6. The ticket was purchased at the local Nextra Chermside Newsagency. Its owner, Shannon Hickey, revealed that the tickets he has sold have collectively brought in over AUD 164 million (more than RUB 10 billion).
"About ten years ago, we sold an Oz Lotto ticket worth AUD 40 million (approximately RUB 2.46 billion). At that time, it was the third-largest win in Australia. Now, this AUD 100 million Powerball prize is the third-largest in Australia and the biggest in Queensland," Hickey stated. He added that his store is now the luckiest in the country.
Meanwhile, in New Zealand, the largest prize in the history of the local Powerball lottery has been paid out, amounting to NZD 44 million.
