In 2009, a South Dakota rancher bought a Powerball ticket on a feed run; days later, its numbers brought $232.1 million to a family whose home was repossessed

Neal Wanless bought a Powerball ticket at the age of 23, when he was living on his family’s ranch near Mission, South Dakota, during a trip to purchase livestock feed. He won a whopping $232.1 million jackpot on May 27, 2009, with the ticket matching all six numbers. He was supposed to claim the prize on June 5, at a time when his family had just lost a mobile home to repossession and was behind on property taxes.Wanless bought the ticket at an Ampride convenience store in Winner, which is a town that is located about 35 miles from the ranch. His family regularly made the trip to buy feed, and the $5 ticket was part of that routine, with the winning combination including numbers that were based on family members’ birthdays, according to the South Dakota Lottery’s announcement, which identified Wanless as the winner. The official lottery record lists the May 27 jackpot at an estimated $232 million, with a cash value of about $118 million.The family were unable to keep up with billsThe family lived on a ranch in an economically distressed part of South Dakota called Todd County, where they raised cattle, sheep and horses. The family was behind on property taxes, and a mobile home had been repossessed the previous year. They were described by the neighbours as hardworking people who had very little money to spare.Neal’s father, Arlen Wanless, used to buy and sell scrap metal to earn some money, but prices kept falling, which hurt that business. Friends and neighbours told the Associated Press that the family had faced financial hardship for years, and County records that were cited in the report showed that the family owed $3,552 in property taxes that were payable in 2007, 2008 and 2009.The news of the winning ticket quickly spread through the small community, and the convenience store that sold it was also due to receive a $50,000 bonus. For residents who knew the family, the win meant that the Wanlesses would no longer have to go through the same immediate financial pressure.He chose a cash payoutWanless claimed the prize at a ceremony in Pierre on June 5, where he chose a one-time cash payment instead of receiving the advertised jackpot in instalments. The cash option was worth about $118 million before taxes, and after federal tax withholding, the South Dakota Lottery said he would receive around $88.5 million. The important point to note is that lottery headlines usually feature the annuity value, which is paid over time, rather than the smaller lump-sum amount, and the $232.1 million figure was the jackpot that was advertised, not the amount deposited in Wanless’s account.Wanless spoke briefly at the ceremony and read a prepared statement, in which he thanked God for the opportunity and said he would not use the money recklessly. He also said that he wanted to help people in need, which pointed to the support that his own family had received from the community.He wanted to continue ranchingWanless said that he intended to continue working on the ranch even though the prize money was massive. He had been preparing to bale hay and carry out other farm jobs, and also spoke about buying a larger ranch, saying that he had told his horse, Eleanor, that they could go on longer rides if they had more land. Winning the lottery did not mean that he would leave his old life behind, as he had grown up around ranch work and wanted to remain involved in it; the money just gave him the option to expand the operation and help relatives and neighbours.Wanless’s win was one of the largest single-ticket Powerball jackpots at the time, and the story drew attention not only because of how large the amount was, but also because the ticket had been bought during an ordinary trip for feed, while the family was facing repossession and unpaid taxes. His public comments focused on continuing to ranch and repaying the community that had helped his family through hard times.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.