California man comes forward as 2nd jackpot winner
California’s $324 million Mega Millions jackpot winner Steve Tran had an epiphany at 3 a.m. earlier this week that spurred him from sleep and led him to a pile of lottery tickets on top of his dresser.
“I remembered, I think I went to San Jose,” the Northern California delivery driver told state lottery officials, who had publicized that the winning ticket was purchased at a gift shop in that city.
Tran rummaged through his tickets, and the winning numbers were “just sitting in my house, on top of my drawer.”
After hugging his family, Tran phoned his boss.
“I’m really sorry boss” Tran remembered saying. “I hit the jackpot. I don’t think I’m going to come in today, tomorrow, or ever.”
The $648 million jackpot is the second-largest lottery prize in U.S. history. The jackpot started its colossal ascent on Oct. 4. Lottery officials say 22 draws came and went without any winners. Some $336 million in tickets were sold for the Dec. 17 drawing alone.
Tran, meanwhile, has opted to take his share in a single lump sum, which amounts to $173.8 million before taxes.
Federal taxes will take a bite of 25 percent, and he is not required to pay California taxes on his winnings. Had he taken his winnings over a period of 30 years, he would have collected the $324 million.
The other winner, Ira Curry, is from Stone Mountain, Ga., and came forward to claim her prize the day after the drawing. Georgia Lottery officials say she opted to take the lump sum payment of about $120 million after taxes.
Curry lives in a neighborhood of brick and stucco houses with manicured lawns about 10 miles east of Atlanta. Hers is a two-story home with a two-car garage and a basketball goal in the driveway. She purchased the ticket at the Gateway Newsstand in the Alliance Center building in Buckhead, a financial center in Atlanta.
Tran, who did not say where he lives, said his family likes to visit San Jose because of the city’s large Vietnamese population.
While visiting the area to shop and dine, Tran bought five Quick Picks from Jenny’s Gift Shop, which sits along San Jose’s tree-lined Tully Road, amid a cluster of Asian restaurants. Owner Thuy Nguyen had just taken over the shop four months prior to selling the ticket, and later received a $1 million commission from the lottery.
Tran told lottery officials that he saw TV coverage about the winning ticket being purchased in San Jose, but had forgotten about his stop at Jenny’s.
“Must be a lucky man,” Tran thought at the time.
Then he went on vacation, and forgot about the whole thing.
It wasn’t until his intuitive middle-of-the-night wake-up after his return that Tran realized it was he who had purchased the winning ticket in San Jose.
He came forward Thursday, 16 days after the drawing, to claim his prize.
