Impoverished Rancher Wins $232 Million Powerball Prize

After buying a ticket in the aptly named town of Winner, South Dakota, 23-year-old rancher Neal Wanless won a $232 million Powerball prize, which he plans to use to help his impoverished community.

By Kathryn Hawkins. Posted on June 08 2009

23-year-old rancher Neal Wanless was having money trouble. His family owns a 230-acre ranch near Mission, South Dakota, where they raise cattle and sheep, but in recent years, they haven’t quite been able to make ends meet: their trailer was repossessed last year, and they’ve been struggling to keep afloat by selling scrap metal for extra cash. “They are from real meager means, I guess you’d say,” their neighbor, Dave Assman, told The Associated Press.

But the family’s luck has turned around since Wanless made a quick stop at a convenience store in the aptly named town of Winner, where he purchased $15 worth of Powerball tickets, using his family’s birthdates to choose the numbers for his tickets.

To his amazement, the down-on-his-luck rancher won the jackpot, claiming a $232.1 million prize—one of the largest undivided wins in American history—last Friday. After paying off tax obligations, he’ll take home a lump sum of $88.5 million.

From the sounds of things, Wanless isn’t planning to blow his newfound fortune on fancy cars, exotic trips, or expensive mansions, though after finding out about the win, he told his horse that “it’d be nice if we go for a longer ride than usual on a bigger ranch of our own,” says People Magazine.

Along with upgrading his ranch, Wanless plans to use the money to help his family out of their financial hole, and to benefit his native Todd County, which is the seventh poorest region in the United States. He also plans to donate a sizable chunk of the winnings to charity.

“My family has been helped by the community and I intend to repay that help many times over,” he said.

Filed under: General Interest,

Liked this? You'll love these, too:

Family Discovers $45,000 in Home and Returns the Money

After moving into a new house, Josh Ferrin discovered $45,000, which had been stored there by previous owner Arthur Bangerter. Read More
Unexpected Ways to Generate Cash

Short on dough? Check out these surprising ways to raise some. Read More
San Diego Chargers Fans Return $1,000 in Lost Money

When a waitress dropped more than $1,000 in bills, fans returned every last dollar to her. Read More
Top Ten Ways to Spend Less and Get More

Check out these great strategies for saving money. Read More
Flash Fortunes: How the Suddenly Rich Make Their Money

How do people come into sudden wealth? Check out these sometimes inspiring, sometimes unfair, examples. Read More