Largest Win in Oregon Lottery History

As the Powerball Jackpot climbed over the billion-dollar mark earlier this year, Cheng S. (pictured here) decided to try his luck. For Cheng, a cancer survivor whose disease had recurred, it wasn’t about the dream of fancy cars or elaborate travel. He had instead become understandably concerned about his family and developed a driving desire to secure their financial future.

He planned to buy several tickets for the April 6 drawing when the jackpot had climbed to an astonishing $1.3 billion. After running into a friend Laiza C., also of Milwaukie, he asked if she wanted to go in on the purchase with him. She agreed, and they pooled their budgets, buying 20 tickets at the Plaid Pantry on Columbia Boulevard in northeast Portland with the understanding that, should any of those tickets win, they would split the jackpot.

That’s when lightning struck. Just one ticket matched all five numbers plus the Powerball. That ticket was sold in Oregon. Cheng woke to that news on April 7 and began checking his tickets to see if there was any chance he’d won.

Things were a blur after he discovered that, indeed, he had the winning Powerball ticket! Cheng remembers calling his friend Laiza, who was driving to work when she received his call. “You don’t have to go anymore,” Cheng informed her happily. Her share of the win means that paid employment is strictly optional for Liaza from now on!

Cheng and his wife Duanpen agreed to split their half of the jackpot, with Cheng and Duanpen each receiving 25% of the total. Liaza received her 50% share (and the Plaid Pantry that sold the winning ticket received a $100,000 bonus from the Lottery). Cheng represented the small group of winners when meeting with reporters at the Oregon Lottery headquarters in Salem. When asked what was next for him, Cheng happily shared that he and his wife are now searching for a new dream home. From there, the sky’s the limit for these billion-dollar winners. Congratulations to all!