Portland-area husband, wife and friend to split Oregon’s record $1.32 billion Powerball jackpot

(Adding photo, Oregon Lottery news release)

SALEM, Ore. (KGW/KTVZ) — The winner of Oregon's record-breaking $1.326 billion Powerball jackpot is in fact three winners -- a husband and wife and their friend, who will split the prize, KGW reported Monday.

Husband and wife Cheng and Duanpen Saephan of Portland, along with their friend Laiza Liem Chao from Milwaukie, were announced as the winners at an Oregon Lottery news conference Monday afternoon, three weeks after the previously unnamed Portland winner came forward to claim the prize.

Cheng Saephan said he, his wife and their friend bought 20 lottery tickets, The Oregonian/Oregon Live reported.

Cheng Saephan, who was born in Laos and in 1994 moved to the U.S., is the only one of the three winners at the ceremony in Salem. He said he plans to take the lump sum.

He said he is happy for his family, as the lottery winnings will help them have a happy life. He said he has been battling cancer since 2016 and is in the midst of chemotherapy treatment. He added:

“How am I going have time to spend all of this money?”

Earlier this month, Powerball announced that a single ticket sold in Oregon on April 6 had matched all six numbers to win the full prize at the drawing that night. After more than 40 weeks without a winner, the jackpot had grown to become the fourth-largest in Powerball history and the largest Powerball jackpot ever won in Oregon.

The Oregon Lottery confirmed on April 8 that the ticket had been sold at a Plaid Pantry store in Northeast Portland. Oregon law does not allow lottery winners to remain anonymous in most cases, but the agency said it needed to go through a process to verify the win and set up security measures before revealing the winner publicly.

Speaking at Monday's news conference, lottery officials said the vetting process went quickly, taking only a couple days, but it took longer to collect the winnings from the multi-state agency that handles distribution.

RELATED: After taxes, here's how much the $1.3 billion Powerball winner will actually take home

The grand prize carried an equivalent cash value of $621 million. Winners can take the cash value as a lump sum or the full jackpot as an annuity paid out over 30 years; most winners choose the former option. 

The Plaid Pantry that sold the ticket will receive a bonus $100,000 for the sale, and CEO Jonathan Polonsky said earlier this month that the money would go into a store bonus program for employees in certain positions, like assistant managers.

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Three People Announced as Winners of $1.3 Billion Powerball Jackpot

Salem, Ore. –  A Portland man, his wife, and their friend are making history as winners of the fourth largest Powerball jackpot. Cheng “Charlie” Saephan, 46, purchased the ticket for the April 6, 2024 drawing and was the only person in the country to match all five numbers plus the Powerball. 

Saephan is sharing the prize with 37 year-old Duanpen Saephan, his wife, and friend Laiza Chao, 55, of Milwaukie. The prize will be split among the three individuals: 50% (Chao) and 25%, 25% (Saephans). All three elected to take the cash option, which totals $422,309,193.97 after taxes.

Saephan, who has battled cancer and is fighting a recurrence, was relying on a combination of faith and luck when he purchased over 20 tickets for the drawing. In the weeks leading up to the jackpot, he wrote out numbers from the game (1-69) on a piece of paper and slept with it under his pillow.

“I prayed to God to help me,” he said, “My kids are young and I’m not that healthy.”  

Saephan, who is Iu-Mienh, was born in Laos and has lived in Portland for the past 30 years. He said the prize will allow him and his family to live “worry free” in light of his illness. 

Chao gave Saephan $100 toward the purchase of tickets for the game. After discovering he was holding the winning ticket, he called her to share the news. 

“I said, ‘Laiza, where are you?’ and she said, ‘I’m going to work,’” said Saephan. “I replied, ‘You don’t have to go anymore.’”    

The win is by far the biggest prize ever won in Oregon. Previously, the largest Powerball prize won in Oregon was a $340 million jackpot in 2005. 

“I want to offer my heartfelt congratulations to the Saephans and Ms. Chao on this historic win,” said Oregon Lottery Director Mike Wells. “Not only is the prize life-changing for the three of them and their families, it’s also a huge win for the state.” 

Approximately a third of sales from Powerball will be returned to state beneficiaries to support economic development, education, veteran services, state parks and more. The retailer that sold the winning ticket, Plaid Pantry, will also receive a $100,000 bonus. 

Powerball is a multi-state jackpot operated by 45 states, plus the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. 

The Oregon Lottery recommends that you always sign the back of your ticket to ensure you can claim your prize. In the event of winning a jackpot, players should consult with a trusted financial planner or similar professional to develop a plan for their winnings. Players have a year to claim their prize. 

Since the Oregon Lottery began selling tickets on April 25, 1985, it has earned nearly $15.5 billion for economic development, public education, outdoor school, state parks, veteran services, and watershed enhancements. For more information on the Oregon Lottery, visit www.oregonlottery.org.