: COLUMBIA, S.C. -- (AP) Jonathan Vargas turns 20 in July. But he relied on the ages of close relatives instead of his own when he picked the six winning numbers for Saturday's $35.3 million Powerball jackpot.
The Gaston construction worker said his two younger brothers turn 12 and 14 this year; his sister will be 15 and his older brother will be 21. Their mom turned 43 earlier this year.
And the winning red ball number?
"As far as 30 -- just a lucky guess," he said Monday at a news conference announcing him as the winner.
With the win, Vargas became one of the Midlands’ most eligible bachelors. (Patricia Richardson, 43, says her son is neither married nor in a relationship.)
While other winning Powerball tickets have been sold in South Carolina, state lottery director Ernie Passailaigue said Vargas, who went to Airport High School in Lexington County, is the first winner who lives in the state.
Passailaigue said Vargas likely will take the lump-sum payment, estimated at $17.3 million, instead of the annuity that pays out the larger jackpot amount over 29 years.
Vargas -- who said Saturday was the first time he'd played the lottery -- plans to buy his mother a house and quit work, he said.
"Right now, there's no really big plans in the works," he said. The first thing he plans to do is get a lawyer and a financial consultant. He said he already has an accountant -- his aunt.
Vargas said the numbers came to him while he was at work. He was having a bottle of juice and saw that the expiration date on the bottle was his birthday. He said a voice in his head told him, "Your family is going to bring you success and fortune."
"I heard the numbers in my head," he said. "I called my mom and said write these numbers down."
He also wrote the numbers on a napkin and tucked it away in his pocket. He still has the napkin. He was holding it when he watched the drawing.
"When it got to the third number, I knew I had it," he said. "I was grateful. I was crying. It was a very emotional moment for me."
He is a handsome young man please let him invest his money in more than gentleman clubs, rims, available bust it baby's, white tees, gold teeth and being the community loan shark.
My brothers friend won a substantial amount of money back in the day and he blew it on flossing, women, and sudden relatives and best friends he didn't have prior to his financial gain Oh yeah and getting robbed due to the flossing. Dude must have gotten robbed like once a week.
That is wassup! He's really young and hopefully somebody is whispering smart somethings in his ear! Invest that and it can double. Do like my dad. Buy big buildings for $600,000 and fix it up and after like a year sell that bad boy for a Million! You'll be good money! I dont hear my dad complaining!...im still really happy though. all who ever wins is ppl who are like 80 and gonna kick the can in a year.
I can't believe you guys are betting against his success already!!! Yes, he probably will splurge a little on a few luxuries, who wouldn't!! Let's try to give him the benefit of the doubt! He has 4 other siblings who all need to go to college, hell maybe even Mom too. Also if they move on up to the coast or to fancy Hilton Head Island, they'll probably experience racism! Let's have some faith in him.
HOPE HE DON'T LOSE IT LIKE ALL THE OTHER'S THAT WON $100 MIL, $50MIL OR WHATEVER. CAUSE PPL IS GOING TO COME TO HIM WITH IDEAS. MANN LETS OPEN A CAR DEALERSHIP, RIM SHOP, LETS OPEN A FAMILY CAR WASH, LET ME GET $10,000 FOR 9O DAYS, MANN LETS FLIP A FEW KEYS JUST A FEW THEN WE GET OUT. KEEP FOCUS MY BROTHER AND *** THESE HOES.
@ mrFLORIDA when i win the lotto i dont want the whole world to know ---------------
YEA THATS TRUE, BUT IN MOST STATES THE YOU HAVE TO IT'S PART OF THE RULES WHEN U WIN. THEY WANT PPL TO SEE THAT PPL ACTUALLY WIN SO PPL CAN KEEP BUYING TICKETS. LUCKY I LIVE IN DELAWARE WHERE U DON'T HAVE TO GO BY THAT RULE AND U CAN KEEP YO FACE AND NAME SECRET.
Man thats great finally a lottery winner thats not too old to spend it or a group of sausage packers. Somebody beeter tell boy 17mill ain't nothing he can reite on. he better do something smart and not trust his aunt or any other one of his relative with his finances they can *** you over just as worse as some one your paying for but at least you don't have think twice about sending some one out your family to jail I hope he doesn't spend it on a car and rims and other ***!66a stuff.
This young man said that he is going to pay his tithes, honor his mother and get a financial consultant. For everyone hating and saying he is going to blow the money...do you say that when you see old white people win? I swear even when someone does right enuff to be blessed in our community we black people will drag them down won't we......
I'm so glad a young brotha won it.....it's usually some old white rich farmer who bought 10K worth of tickets only to buy a new washer and dryer..........fabulous, although I wouldn't have told a soul that I won.
I would most definetely buy MTO and make it into a classy, respectable black celebrity website.
CONGRATS TO THE YOUNG MAN, HOPEFULLY HE WILL INVEST AND SINCE HE DOESN'T PLAN ON WORKING, I HOPE HE PLANS ON INVESTING IN AN EDUCATION, ONE THAT WILL HELP HIM MANAGE HIS OWN MONEY. ALSO I HOPE THE BROTHER GETS A NEW ACCOUNTANT, SOMEONE WHO IS NOT FAMILY, THEY WILL BE THE FIRST TO ROB YOUR A$$ (ASK RUEBEN STUDDARD.
HEYYYYY WATS GOIN ON CUZZZZZ. MANNNN I REMEMBER WHEN WE TO GO TO THE PARK TOGETHER AND U DIDN'T HAVE NO BIKE SO I WALK, U C I WALKED AND GAVE U MY BIKE TO RIDE. YEA YEA U REMEMBER..I'M YO CUZ FROM YO AUNT TAM, UNCLE JOE, DAUGHTER WHO HAD TWINS THEN THE TWINS GREW UP AND HAD THE SAME BABY DADDY AND WALA U HAVE ME. YEA I KNOW I KNOW U DONT REMEMBER BUT U WILL SOON. SO UMMM CAN I HOLD SOMETHNG? HAHAHAHAHAHA
Mo Money Mo Problems. Bet today alone he has 30 new family members in need!!! And I hope he is smart about it!!! I want an update in 5 years to see how much money he has left after family and friends drain him for all of it....Hope he is mature enough to handle it all!!!! BE SMART!!! AND YOU OWE NOONE. If the moochers didn't need you before they don't need you know....remember that. Oh can I get a loan???? LOL...
wow, glad to hear he has hired some financial help and an attorney. I sure would invest in owning a McDonald's or something like that as a investment and you will always see your money coming back to you or some kind of real estate. Im sure he will take care of his family first as he should. Lucky him! what a story
...The read that its more tax efficient to get the 39 year pay out than the lump sum...
...And he has to watch those financial consultants too, too many of them are known for steering people towards rip off mutual funds and annuities in order to get commissions and kick backs. I hope he is doing is research.
Ah, I wish were me, I know exactly what to do with that kind of money, but if I were him, I would get a disguise and go incognito for awhile. There is no way I would voluntarily broadcast my winnings on TV.
hmmph..my mom is glued to me like white on rice but I wouldnt even tell her diddly. Pay her bills and tell her ask no questions..He all smilin lookin sweeta than apple pie knowin FULL well he should lay low. I would be OUT my house the NEXT day and not talk to nobody til I prayed and figured things out and change my numba..luckily for me I've always been very good with money..so I'd be str8..one day one day I will be rollin like dat be it the lotto or my future entrepreneurial endeavors...I aint even mad at da kid but he BESt be careful of lettin his fam handle his money..sad but sometimes fam is the MOST GRIMEY..keep your enemies close but your friends closer..money make peeps act real funny...
and i think they have to go public when they win a lot of money which is stupid. it just put peope business out there. that sh.it makes me mad,lol and yes they will be hood ***, beggars and family he ain't ever seen gonna start riding his ***. if i was him, i would move out the area. and get on the dl. also mafia or whatever can try to extort him, this world is crazy.
@ princesstp. There are qa lot of rich guys who aren't that cute. Which is why they treat women as disposable tissues when they get that paper.
Hopefully dude spends his money wisely. He has younger sibling so he may want to insist that they attend college. His older sibling should further his education if he hasn't as well.
The prob with all that money is that everybody in the family may want to retire. Even those that don't have a job. And he'll prolly want to move from his neighbourhood. I forsee home invasions and kidnapping for ransom if he stays put. I hope to join him in the winners club one day. Fingers crossed.
Aww the typos, revision:
...I’ve read that it’s more tax efficient to get the 39 year pay out than the lump sum...
...And he will have to monitor his financial consultant because too many of them are known for steering people toward rip off mutual funds and rip off annuities in order to get commissions and kick backs. I hope he is doing his research.
..Ah, I wish were me, I know exactly what to do with that kind of money, but if I were him, I would get a disguise and go incognito for awhile. There is no way I would voluntarily broadcast my winnings on TV.
Yea Homie with all this INTERINFOMATION you need to be carful if it was me would no one know about me hitting the lotto and being a BLACK young me you know people are gonna come to you trying to rob bring girls up in your face and all the ghetto ***/S you feel me but if you got a mind put the money in a bank and look into the future save and not spend and you don't have to work to hard in the future like me trying to provide driving trucks even though its ok but people in this world have a life and i'm glad to see a black person win the lotto because I was gonna give up on it cause everytime you turn around (and i'm not racist)who you see hitting the lottery the most,,,,,WHITE FOLKS and people reading this think about it,,,,,,,seem like more white people hit the lottery than any other race on this planet but if my day come or ship rolls in won't anyone out here know about it cause i'm old school and you my man need to listen to a song called SMILING FACES by UNDISPUTED TRUTH and roll that in your mind awhile till then holla at cha and watch out for those haters!!!!!!!
Well everybody needs happiness and money can help! How could someone get mad cause someone won money? Goes to show you that people love to hate happiness!... I have a son that's ten years old and he's a dancer model type artist and on the honor roll... Now if I can get some help with his pursuit of happiness that would be a blessing .. Check him out on my Facebook page Kenyada Beatty and you will see my little handsome son!
