There are lottery wins that change lives — and then there are the ones that make history books do a double take.
Meet the Seven Bridges Revocable Trust from Fredericksburg, Texas — the newest members of the “We Won So Much Money We Need a Lawyer to Claim It” club. They just walked away with half of the $1.8 billion Powerball jackpot from September 6, the second largest in U.S. history.
Their share? A cool $410 million cash, after choosing the lump sum payout. That’s before taxes, of course — because Uncle Sam always shows up when the confetti falls.
The winning ticket was bought at Big’s 103 on Highway 290, using hand-picked numbers instead of the usual random quick-pick. Ironically, the player later realized one of the numbers wasn’t the one they meant to choose — the kind of mistake you usually regret until it makes you hundreds of millions of dollars.
The morning after the draw, they checked the ticket while driving to church (because, naturally, this is Texas), pulled over to confirm it a few more times, then tucked the golden slip into the glovebox like it was the Holy Grail and went inside.
Through their attorney, the trust released a statement that sounded like it came straight from a heartfelt Sunday sermon:
“We believe in family, faith, and the blessings that come through both. This is a moment of gratitude for us — a blessing we plan to enjoy and share with those who serve our community. God bless Texas.”
Translation: We’re rich, we’re grateful, and we’re not losing our manners over it.
This win marks only the third time a Texan has hit a Powerball jackpot since the state joined the game in 2010 — and the first since 2015. The jackpot had been rolling since June, building for 42 straight draws, which is basically forever in lottery time.
Even the officials couldn’t help sounding a little giddy. Courtney Arbour from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation — which now runs the Texas Lottery — said:
“This record-setting prize shows that any Texas Lottery ticket could be the next big winner, all while helping fund education and veterans’ services.”
So yes, Texas just produced one of the biggest lottery winners in American history — and they’re planning to share it with the people who make the state what it is.
Faith, family, and $410 million — sounds like the most Texas thing ever.