Savvy Lotto Winner Waits 6 Weeks, Then Claims $425M

He plans to found children's charity
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 2, 2014 1:37 AM CDT
Updated Apr 2, 2014 3:33 AM CDT
Calif. Man Claims $425M Jackpot—6 Weeks Later
Powerball winner B. Raymond Buxton holds a check for $425 million in Sacramento. Calif.   (AP Photo/California Lottery)

The winner of California's biggest-ever lottery jackpot has a sense of humor—he turned up to claim the $425 million Powerball prize on April Fool's Day, wearing a T-shirt featuring Yoda and the words "Luck of the Jedi I have," reports the San Jose Mercury News. B. Raymond Buxton, a 59-year-old who retired after the lottery draw in February, says he "couldn't sleep for days" after learning he had the winning ticket, bought at a San Jose-area gas station.

Buxton—who covered his face with the giant check while posing for photos—says that after learning of the win, he hunkered down for weeks and hired legal, financial, and PR representation before coming forward, the LA Times reports. He opted to take the prize in one $242 million lump sum, and says he plans to set up a charity "focused on areas of pediatric health, child hunger, and education," while still trying to "find a way to live a normal and discreet life." The big win "couldn't happen to a nicer guy," a spokesman says. "He wants to be a winner who affects lives in a positive way." (More Powerball stories.)

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