The Powerball jackpot reached a record $2.04 billion before the winning ticket was sold Tuesday, and the store owner who sold the ticket happens to be the father-in-law of former NFL defensive tackle Domata Peko. Peko congratulated his father-in-law, Joe Chahayed, for receiving $1 million for making the sale with a nod to a Lil Wayne classic.
"Congratulations Baba Chahayed!!! Alexa play A Mili by (Lil Wayne)," Peko wrote on Twitter. "Blessed."
Congratulations Baba Chahayed!!! Alexa play A Mili by @LilTunechi 🙌🙌 blessed https://t.co/r8aVPN5xVi
— domatapeko (@DomataPeko) November 9, 2022
This was the largest lottery jackpot ever won. It was far bigger than the previous high of $1.586 billion, which was won by three people in 2016.
Chahayed, owner of Joe's Service Center located in Altadena in the Los Angeles County, told CBS News that he typically tells his customers, "Good luck, this is the winner," whenever he sells them a ticket. This time it was true, and Chahayed got a piece of the pie too.
A yellow banner that reads, "Billionaire made here" now hangs outside his gas station store.
The results were announced half a day late, but Chahayed is used to being patient. CBS Los Angeles reported that he emigrated from Syria in the 1980s with his wife, two kids and just around $14,000 in his pocket.
"I never collect welfare, I never collect Medicare, I never collect any money from the government," Chahayed said. "All what I do, I work hard, seven days a week. 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."
Chahayed didn't know who has the winning ticket, but he said that most of his customers are people from the neighborhood and that he hopes it's one of them. As for his own winnings, Chahayed said family is more important than money, so he is planning on using his earnings on the people he loves the most.
"I have a big family, I'm going to spend it on the kids, my grandchildren,"Chahayed said. "My son is expecting a baby in two months, so we are excited. We can have a nice celebration for another baby. I have 10 grandchildren so I'm going to spend the money on them."
As for Chahayed's son-in-law, Peko played 15 years in the NFL after the Cincinnati Bengals drafted him in the fourth round out of Michigan State in 2006. Peko spent the first 11 seasons of his NFL career with Cincinnati before ending his career with stops in Denver, Arizona and Baltimore.
