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CNN Live Today

Three Winners Share $300 Million Big Game Jackpot

Aired April 17, 2002 - 13:51   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: There are three winning tickets in last night's near record Big Game lottery. They were purchased in Georgia, New Jersey, and in Illinois. We will start there with CNN's Keith Oppenheim. All right, Keith, give us the scoop.

KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: OK. There was lots of excitement here this morning, Kyra. We were trying to find out where was the lucky store that sold the lucky ticket. We were all looking around. Eventually, around 9:30, we got the announcement and pounced upon this Speedway on Harlem Avenue in Burbank, Illinois. We don't know yet who came here to actually buy that ticket. We will explain that in a moment. But we are presuming whoever did buy it is probably talking to a financial planner right about now. We do know that the employees here are quite happy about the sale and are talking about it right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LORI MONTANA, DIRECTOR, ILLINOIS STATE LOTTERY: And on behalf of the State of Illinois, Illinois Lottery, I would proudly like you to accept this check to Speedway Unit 7422 for $1,103,300.00, and there will be some change.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

OPPENHEIM: A million bucks and change is pretty good money when you didn't even win. But in Illinois, the store gets a 1 percent kick-back from the state lottery for selling the winning ticket, which in this case, goes to Speedway gas stations. Not clear if the employees get anything. Still, the manager of this Speedway, Deborah Mernane (ph), was thrilled. She is just wondering who won.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I sure hope it is one of our regulars, let me tell you. I just want that red corvette sitting outside.

ERIKA GREEN, BIG GAME LOTTERY WINNER: I don't know how much I will get as of yet.

OPPENHEIM: The only person to come forward as a winner so far is this young lady, 20-year-old Erika Green, who bought her ticket in Dacula, Georgia. Erika says she went back to the store where she bought her ticket and revealed she had all of the right numbers. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GREEN: They were like did you win it. I was like yes. They were grabbing on to me and holding me and shaking me. Oh, I'm so happy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

OPPENHEIM: She should be pretty happy. She works, or worked possibly, for a cell phone company and says this is the first time she ever played the Big Game. Obviously, she did rather well. Again, we don't know the identities of the other two winners, one here in Illinois and the other in Union County New Jersey. We do know how much they won. The jackpot went up from the estimated $325 million to $331 million. Follow my math. Divide that by three and get about $110 million and change. If the winner takes the one time lump sum payment, they will get around $59 million. Of course, they have to pay taxes on that. But in the end, Kyra, it is still a lot. Back to you.

PHILLIPS: All right, Keith, good mathematizing there. All right.

Brian Cabell is standing by in Atlanta, where one of the winners came forward this morning to claim her prize. She is getting quite a chunk of change too, Brian.

BRIAN CABELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, just about the same chunk. Erika Green, 20 years old, as you heard. She worked in a cell phone and pay phone shop. I say worked because we don't know if she will return to that job. She just drove by here in a limousine about 15 minutes ago, with her family and friends and her entire entourage. She is 20 years old. She is single, but she has a boyfriend. And her boyfriend looked lovingly at her during the entire press conference, as did her whole family. So she is one happy lady and one very wealthy lady, Kyra.

What she will do with that $60 million, she doesn't know at this point. She said last night, she just sat there and shook. She slept for about a half-hour. As to any immediate plans or distant plans for that money, right now she is just thinking about it -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Brian, what do you think? Do you thing that boyfriend's going to propose probably, oh, within five minutes?

CABELL: I'd hate to speak for him, but he certainly looked as though he was very much in love today, as did her whole family. We also asked if any friends were coming out of the woodwork to ask for help. She said, so far, no. Of course, she has been down here at lottery headquarters the last three hours.

PHILLIPS: Yes, hopefully you know your true friends by now. Brian Cabell, thank you so much.

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