Store owner now a millionaire after selling $1.7B Powerball jackpot ticket
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Frazier Park, CA - Andy Khalil, the owner of Midway Market & Liquor in Frazier Park, is $1 million richer after selling the winning $1.76 billion Powerball jackpot ticket.
In a surprising turn of events, the small community in Frazier Park, California, has made headlines as one lucky store owner sold a winning Powerball ticket, turning him into an instant millionaire from the lottery’s retailer commission.
Fox 11 Los Angeles reported the story broke when customers and friends began spreading the news on social media platforms, particularly Facebook.
"I thought somebody's joking with me," admitted Andy, as he told Fox 11 about his first reaction upon learning that his market had sold the winning Powerball ticket.
He said his disbelief slowly faded as calls and text messages from excited friends and customers confirmed the reality of the situation.
Andy said he intended to throw a community celebration to share the event with everyone in the area.
As the news spread, people were asking who the lucky winner could be. Andy believes there's a chance he may know the person who purchased the winning ticket.
He mentioned that if he were provided with the exact time the ticket was sold, he could potentially pinpoint the winner.
Andy's market serves as a focal point for the local community, and many of its customers are familiar faces from the area.
He commented, "Most of them are local," emphasizing the close-knit nature of the community.
Frazier Park has already seen a few other winners recently, with one person winning a substantial prize for matching five numbers.
However, it's Andy who stands out for potentially winning more than the ticket buyers by having a ticket of his own that he hadn't yet checked.
As for the small-town location of his market, Andy acknowledged that it might not be the most prominent lottery retail location, but the recent win is changing that perception.
"It feels pretty good actually. This is a remote location," he remarked.
Local news outlets are now describing his store as a "Lucky Store."
At the time of the interview, Andy hadn't spoken to lottery officials yet. Still, he was clearly delighted about the prospect of being recognized as one of the "Lucky Stores" across California.
He also expects that his store's lottery sales will see a significant boost as a result of all the attention.
As the interview concluded, there was a moment of suspense as the reporter asked Andy if he would be checking his own lottery tickets live on the air.
Andy declined, stating that he wouldn't do it at that moment, leaving everyone curious about whether he had a personal lottery ticket with another potentially life-changing outcome.
Frazier Park and the local community are now waiting to find out who the lucky winner is - and whether Andy's own Powerball ticket might hold an additional surprise.
