The 24-year-old Powerball winner recounted the story behind him winning the Powerball jackpot — the third-largest in U.S. history.
By Michael Brice-Saddler Michael Brice-Saddler General Assignment Reporter Email Bio Follow April 23 at 5:58 PM Addressing a gaggle of reporters Tuesday, Manuel Franco had some difficulty finding his words.Grinning from ear to ear, the 24-year-old from West Allis, Wis., recounted the story behind winning the $768 million Powerball jackpot — the third-largest in U.S. history. It began with a “lucky” feeling as he left work on March 27.
“It’s a weird lucky feeling. It’s not natural, not normal at all,” Franco told reporters. He was so confident, he said, that before buying $10 worth of Powerball tickets at a Speedway gas station outside Milwaukee, he looked into the store’s camera and considered winking. It turns out his feeling was accurate — but Franco would later explain how the ticket was nearly lost. He didn’t watch the drawing and went to work the following day without knowing he’d become a millionaire overnight.
When he got home and learned the winning ticket was purchased in Milwaukee, Franco said he was optimistic as he sifted through the ones stashed in his wallet. The third one netted him $4, but Franco realized he struck out as he cross-checked the numbers on his final ticket.When he switched hands, he said he noticed one last ticket stuck to the back of another — one that hadn’t yet been accounted for.
“I saw the first number, I didn’t think much of it, but I knew that it was something special because I normally don’t get the first number,” he said. Subsequently, he matched the second number — then the Powerball — before going back and checking the remaining three digits. He described his increasing excitement as he realized what was happening.“It was amazing. My heart started racing, blood pumping. . . . My blood felt warm. I screamed for about five or 10 minutes,” he recalled.
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