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The sole winner of the $55 million Mega Millions
jackpot for 17 October has finally come forward
- and officials have announced that the lottery
fortune has been claimed by a lady originally
from Laos.
Xia Rattanakone and her husband Sommay, who
now live in Seattle, are the winners of one
of the bigger jackpots in Mega Millions history,
though the $55 million win still falls well
short of the record-breaking $363 million won
in May 2000.
Xia was orphaned as an infant and has often
thought about returning to Laos to try and locate
her blood relatives. The $55 million Mega Millions
win will enable her to do that in some style,
and it will also enable Sommay to retire.
Mega Millions is a US lottery that is played
in California, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland,
Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York,
Ohio, Texas, Virginia and Washington. Winners
are given the option of receiving their prize
in the form of an annuity or as a lump sum.
Xia and Sommay opted for the lump sum, so they
will receive around $23 million after deductions
and taxes.
Xia bought the winning ticket using the Mega
Millions "Quick Pick" option, which
selects numbers at random. Then, the day after
the Tuesday 17 draw, Sommay brought the winning
numbers home and told his wife they would check
their tickets after his nap. Xia couldn't wait
that long, and woke him with her scream of delight.
Understandably, the win took some time to sink
in, so the couple didn't come forward to claim
their prize straight away, but paused to catch
their breath. After working hard to establish
themselves, Xia and Sommay can now relax for
a change. They are planning to use some of their
win to buy a new home, prepare for the education
of their children and to support the Catholic
orphanage which was once Xia's home.
We offer our heartiest congratulations to Xia
and Sommay, and we wish them the very best of
luck as they visit Laos to look for Xia's family.
3 November 2006
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