ST. LOUIS, Jan. 30 (UPI) -- A St. Louis-area octogenarian has claimed a $254 million Powerball jackpot.
Retired electrician James Wilson II, 84, said he plans to split the massive Powerball winnings equally between himself, his wife, Shirley, and the couple's three sons, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Tuesday.
Wilson said the ticket was the first he purchased in several months.
"I figured if I could get a couple of numbers I'd be lucky," Wilson said. "It turned out a little better than that."
"I was absolutely astonished," he said. "I couldn't believe it, and still don't."
One of the Wilson's sons, James, said the family has not yet decided whether to take the money in a lump sum that would amount to $120.5 million after taxes or spread the payments out over 29 years.
The winning numbers were 9, 19, 29, 42, 53 and the Powerball was 17.
The payout is the largest ever seen by the Missouri Lottery and the seventh-largest ever for the Powerball game, which is played in 29 states, the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands.
