NSW woman says $100 million Powerball win ‘a sign’ after recent death in family

Australia’s newest multimillionaire has credited a recently deceased family member and a dose of FOMO for her mammoth $100 million Powerball win.

The NSW woman was the only winner of Thursday night’s jackpot draw, which, according to lottery officials, makes her the equal-biggest lottery winner in Australian history.

“What the f---. I’m still in shock. No, this can’t be happening,” she screamed when told the news, according to quotes released by The Lott.

“No, c'mon. This is bullshit. Bloody hell. Is this my cousin pranking me? My cousin is pranking me.

“I can’t believe this. Oh my God. I am sitting here with my entire family. I love that I’m around them right now sharing this moment with them.”

The Ballina woman said all her family members bought a ticket in Thursday's draw and she only bought her entry not long before the draw closed due to “a bit of FOMO”.

“We recently had a death in the family, and I think it’s a sign from them; they’re so looking after me,” the woman said.

“We’ve had signs all day from them; things moving, cans moving, bags waving in the wind.”

The woman said the win would pay off the mortgage and help “lots of family members”, not just herself.

But first she’ll be treating herself to champagne and a breakfast treat.

“Now we have to see how we’re going to get the Moët delivered,” she said, according to The Lott.

“I’ll be celebrating with breakfast in bed tomorrow – scrambled eggs and bacon for me.”

The winning numbers from Thursday night’s draw were 14, 24, 15, 3, 27, 32 and 30, with a Powerball of 16.

Lottery officials said it was the biggest jackpot this year and the sixth-largest of all time, following five draws without a winner.

The Lott spokesperson Khat McIntyre said as many as half of all Australian adults were expected to have entered the draw.

Australia’s biggest Powerball wins

1. $200 Million – February 2024

Two winning tickets have shared the record $200 million Powerball jackpot after the top prize doubled within just two weeks. One of the tickets belonged to a couple from Singleton, in the NSW Hunter region, while the second was purchased by a Queensland woman in Brisbane.

2. $160 Million – October 2022

The prize was split between winning tickets from WA, NSW and Victoria, equalling $53.3 million for each winning entry. The Western Australian man who won as a part of a syndicate said the group had never played before.

3. $150 Million – September 2019

The jackpot reached a then-record of $150 million after just eight rollovers. Two people from Queensland and one from NSW received $50 million each after the winning numbers were drawn.

4. $126 Million – February 2022

Two division one winning entries split the jackpot: one held by a man from Coffs Harbour in Northern NSW and the other by a syndicate from Kalgoorlie in WA.

5. $110 Million – July 2019

Three winners from Victoria, South Australia and NSW shared the prize. They included a young Adelaide man who was considering drafting a resignation letter to his employer on the night before the draw.