Three winners to split $1.6B Powerball jackpot

A Tennessee couple did not have to worry about the sinking stock values on Wall Street Friday afternoon, because they showed the world one of three winning Powerball tickets. Winners can take the winnings in annual payments spread over decades or a smaller amount in a lump sum.

The other winning tickets were sold in Chino Hills, California and Melbourne Beach, Florida.

The Robinsons said their first order of business is to pay off their daughter’s student loans, then the mortgage on their house and other bills.

He works in IT and she is employed at a Memphis dermatologist’s office.

Those who know they couple say the Robinsons live “about a mile” from Naifeh’s Food Mart where the winning Powerball ticket was sold.

After Wednesday night’s drawing, group member Angel Lawrence (left) checked their numbers from copies she’d made of their tickets.

“Actually, (I was) a little scared because I didn’t know exactly what do to, ” John said in an exclusive interview on TODAY Friday.

The ticket matched the five white balls but not the red Powerball in the drawing Wednesday night that had an unprecedented jackpot of almost $1.6 billion.

The Tennessee Lottery has not verified the ticket. And a Tennessee couple claims they have one of them.

Late Thursday rumors began circulating the owner of a chain of nursing homes bought lottery tickets for employees and residents of 80 different homes across California. The Observer reports Reddit users are claiming he Photoshopped the picture as a publicity stunt, but USA Today confirms Bragg is indeed from Chino Hills, where a winning ticket was sold.

“I wrote the numbers down and I got to looking and I saw it and looked again”, she said. He said he will buy an all-expense paid vacation for the nurse and her family to anywhere they choose.

“Nobody knew up until this point”, Lisa Robinson said. And Florida officials said the victor had not yet come forward on Thursday night.

“We don’t have the victor coming in just yet”, said Alex Traverso, California Lottery Spokesman. They say they will reach out to Tennessee lottery officials later Friday. They got 27 quick-pick combinations.

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