A 46-year-old Laotian immigrant and Oregon resident, Cheng Saephan, clinched the $1.3 billion Powerball jackpot and chose a $422 million lump-sum payment. Saephan, battling cancer for eight years and surviving on disability support, shared his winning strategy during a press conference: attributing his success to a mix of luck and faith, he slept with a paper listing all numbers from 1 to 69 under his pillow for two weeks before winning.
Saephan, who has lived in Portland for 30 years, discovered his fortune while at home, initially thinking he had lost until the final tickets were checked. “Mom, we’re rich,” he exclaimed upon realizing the win. He plans to share his winnings with his wife and a generous friend who lent him money to buy tickets, promising his friend Laiza Chao a 25% share.
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With his winnings, he intends to purchase a dream home and continue his medical treatment, hopeful about improving his quality of life. Despite the windfall, Saephan wishes to keep playing the lottery, hopeful for another stroke of luck.
The jackpot, which is the largest in Oregon’s history, surpasses the previous $340 million record from 2005. The Oregon Lottery noted that proceeds from ticket sales since 1985 have contributed over $15.5 billion to various state-funded initiatives. According to state law, winners like Saephan cannot remain anonymous. Only select states, such as Texas and New Jersey, allow winners to conceal their identities.
