Powerball Ticket Bought at Business Run by NFL Player’s Father-in-Law
Posted on: November 10, 2022, 10:28h.
Last updated on: November 10, 2022, 10:28h.
The very lucky winner of this week’s $2.04 billion Powerball drawing has yet to come forward to claim the historic jackpot. But one clear winner is NFL player Domata Peko’s much admired father-in-law. The winning ticket was sold at his California gas station.
Joe Chahayed, known by customers as “Papa Joe,” who has owned Joe’s Service Center in Altadena, California for two decades, gets $1 million for selling the ticket.
But Chahayed plans to continue to keep on working at his station despite the generous payout.
I’m 75, still young. I will be here tomorrow at 6 o’clock. I love work,” Chahayed was quoted. While at the station this week, he was sporting a California Lottery hat and a T-shirt that read, “Millionaire Made Here.”
Joe Chahayed who sold the winning ticket in the $2.04 billion Powerball drawing at his Altadena Mobil station, says he had a feeling there was going to be a winner among his customers. Video by @deanmusgrove for @PasStarNews @SoCalNewsGroup https://t.co/Mggu1oXG1X pic.twitter.com/DoFiAxzCyN
— Steven Rosenberg (@passthejoe) November 8, 2022
As for his payment from the lottery, he plans to give some of it to his five children and 11 grandchildren, according to the Bleacher Report. He may donate money to some local charities, too.
This week, lottery officials showed up to congratulate Chahayed. He, in turn, said he is happy that the lottery benefits schools in California and hopes the winner is someone who lives in the local neighborhood.
Well Wishes from Customers
Many regulars at the gas station, located northeast of Los Angeles, came by this week to congratulate Chahayed on his large payment from the lottery.
He deserves it,” Kenny Devine told the Los Angeles Times. “He’s just an excellent person. Everybody loves Joe.”
Clarence Goin agreed.
“Couldn’t have happened to a better person,” he told the Times.
NFL Player Congratulates Wife’s Dad
This week, Peko went onto social media to congratulate his wife Anna’s father.
Though he currently is not playing for an NFL team, Peko played as a nose tackle at NFL teams for several years.
Ex-NFL star Domata Peko’s father-in-law had a helluva Tuesday — it turns out his gas station sold the $2 BILLION Powerball-winning ticket, resulting in a $1 million payday!! https://t.co/bC9Ue8alHK
— TMZ (@TMZ) November 9, 2022
Peko was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fourth round of the NFL draft in 2006. He played there for 11 seasons. Later, he played for the Denver Broncos, Baltimore Ravens and the Arizona Cardinals.
Earlier, he played at Michigan State.
Awaiting Winner
As of Thursday morning, the winner has a year to come forward to claim the record-setting jackpot.
Somebody is holding onto a very important piece of paper this morning worth $2.04 billion,” California Lotto spokesperson Carolyn Becker said this week.
The winning numbers were 10, 33, 41, 47, and 56. The Powerball was 10.
The record Powerball drawing was delayed Monday night because of heightened sales and technical problems, news reports said. The November 7 winning numbers were announced the following day.
The delay was blamed on the lottery in one unidentified state needing extra time to process ticket sales, the Multi-State Lottery Commission initially told CNN in a statement.
Winning the lottery meant beating great odds. The chance of a single ticket hitting the jackpot for the Powerball drawing was only about one in 292 million, Powerball officials revealed.