Powerball winners: 'We wont be silly with the money', By Sarah Wotherspoon - Daily Telegraph - 7th June 2008
A casual coffee turned into a $58 million windfall for four Melbourne workmates who scooped the biggest prize in Australian lottery history.
The mystery foursome from Melbourne's northeastern suburbs bought the winning ticket from Reservoir's Lakeside Newsagency on the spur of the moment.
The $32.70 50-game Quick Pick netted the two married and two single men the $58,706,700.13 prize on Thursday night.
"Although we don't know yet what we are going to do with all this money, we are not going to be silly about it," the syndicate organiser said.
"I think we'll invest most of the money and we'll help some charities."
The mystery man said he always thought he would win big on the lottery and looked to the stars on Thursday night and hoped for a win.
He didn't think about it again until he heard yesterday morning that the winning ticket was sold in Reservoir.
He checked the numbers in the paper and went to a different outlet to make sure.
Lakeside Newsagency owner Dean Schultz was overwhelmed when Tatt's spokesman Gerry Devine told him they sold the winning ticket.
"As soon as he introduced himself I knew. He didn't have to say anything. I was in shock, I went white I didn't know what to do," he said.
"We don't know who it is, we get a lot of regulars in here, but when you have a jackpot you also get the people coming in who wouldn't normally buy a ticket.
"To be the biggest one in Australia for a little shop it's fantastic. It's exciting to know you have sold a $58 million ticket."
Mr Schultz said selling the golden ticket was as good as winning and was a perfect way to celebrate clocking up seven years in the business this week.
He congratulated the winners and said he hoped they would come into his shop to say hello.
"I would shake hands. I hope (they) bring a beer in for me," he said.
"I was a bit worried because it wasn't on a card and I thought they might have lost it, so I am really happy."
Mr Schultz's mother Carole, who works in the agency, was ecstatic.
"It's overwhelming and I'm so happy for Dean and the person who won. You cannot think in our mind it's like we have won," she said.
"I tell everyone we are going to sell first prize and no one every believes me but we did."
In the game of Powerball, five balls are drawn from one machine and then a single ball, the Powerball, is drawn from a second machine.
To win the first division prize, players must select all six numbers.
More than 1.3 million entries had a win in Thursday night's game with prizes from $75,000 down to $11.20.
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