Woman who won $1.5 billion jackpot will donate to charity

PanARMENIAN.Net - The woman who won October’s $1.5 billion Mega Millions jackpot can keep her identity a secret and said she plans on donating to causes that are important to her.

The winning ticket was sold at a KC Mart in Simpsonville, South Carolina. The winner allowed a fellow customer to cut the line in order to purchase a ticket, Fox News previously reported. But not much else is known about the woman who will receive a “one-time gross payment of $878 million – the largest jackpot payout to a single winner ever,” The Washington Post reported.

The state allows its lottery winners to remain anonymous and the woman wanted to keep her identity a secret for safety reasons. Her attorney, Jason Kurland, said people who win the lottery “become an easy target” for scams, con artists and sometimes even friends and family. The winner released a statement regarding her newfound luck.

“Words can’t describe the feeling of such incredible luck,” the statement read. “I do realize that such good fortune carries a tremendous social responsibility, and it gives me a unique opportunity to assist, support and contribute to charities and causes that are close to my heart.”

Charities such as the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Columbia and the Red Cross Alabama’s Region’s tornado relief fund will receive donations from the lottery winner, the Washington Post reported.

South Carolina will collect $61 million in income taxes from the jackpot. The store that sold the ticket will get a $50,000 bonus.