California store owner who sold winning Powerball ticket gets $1M bonus

Business owner Joe Chahayed holds a Powerball bonus check outside Joe's Service Center that sold the winning Powerball ticket of $2.04 billion in Altadena, California on Nov. 8, 2022.
Business owner Joe Chahayed holds a Powerball bonus check outside Joe's Service Center that sold the winning Powerball ticket of $2.04 billion in Altadena, California on Nov. 8, 2022. Photo credit Xinhua/Sipa USA

Whoever bought the Powerball ticket that won a record $2.04 billion jackpot this week wasn't the only big winner in the drawing.

The owner of the store in Southern California that sold the ticket also walked away with a huge prize.

The winning ticket was sold at Joe's Service Center, a gas station in Altadena just northeast of Los Angeles. For being the lucky location that sold the ticket, owner Joe Chahayed won a bonus of $1 million.

"I'm very surprised. Very excited. Very happy," Chahayed, 75, told CBS News after being presented with a giant check on Tuesday once the winning numbers were announced.

When asked how he plans to spend his winnings, Chahayed said he's going to share the windfall with his family -- he has five children and 10 grandchildren, with another on the way.

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"My son is expecting a baby in two months, so we are excited" Chahayed told CBS Los Angeles. "We can have a nice celebration for another baby. I have 10 grandchildren."

Chahayed is a prime example of hard work paying off. He told the outlet he emigrated to Los Angeles from Syria in the 1980s with his wife, two children and just $14,000 to his name.

"I never collect welfare, I never collect Medicare, I never collect any money from the government. All what I do, I work hard, seven days a week," he said. "I raised my kids, graduated from the college and bought a house and I bought a business all because I work hard and become an honest man."

The identity of the ticketholder has not yet been revealed, but Chahayed hopes it was someone local.

"I wish I knew the person but most people who buy tickets from me are from the neighborhood. I hope one of them will be the winner," he told CBS News.

The winning numbers were 10, 33, 41, 47, 56 and Powerball 10.

Featured Image Photo Credit: Xinhua/Sipa USA