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CNN Live Sunday

Four Powerball Winners Still Have Not Claimed Their Prize

Aired August 26, 2001 - 16:07   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.
BRIAN NELSON, CNN ANCHOR: Lottery officials are on stand-by today, waiting for four lucky Powerball winners to step forward and claim their share of the $295 million jackpot. The six Powerball numbers drawn last night were as follows: 8, 17, 22, 42, 47 and the Powerball number 21.

So far all we know of the winning tickets is where they were sold. One each in Delaware, Kentucky, Minnesota and New Hampshire. And CNN's Patty Davis has traveled to Rollinsford, New Hampshire, and she joins us with more there.

Patty, hi. Any sign of a lucky winner?

PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We haven't found that lucky winner yet actually, and that cool $74 million awaiting that ticket holder or ticket holders -- it could be more than one person who purchased that particular ticket. That was sold -- the one here in New Hampshire -- right here behind me at the Cumberland Farms convenience store.

Now, how that breaks down, $74 million per one winner is $2.9 million a year for 25 years, that's before taxes, or you can take $41 million in cold, hard cash, but you still have to pay taxes on top of that.

Now, this store had been busy all day, people coming down to see some of the excitement, check their lottery numbers and find out that they are losers. Now, we are joined by Rick Whistler, who is executive director of the New Hampshire Lottery. Any inkling of who that winner is, and have you seen him here today so far?

RICK WHISTLER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NEW HAMPSHIRE LOTTERY: No, we haven't see them yet, and that's not really too unusual, because these winners still have to do quite a few things before they come on in to see the lottery, but who knows whether it's in New Hampshire, or Maine, or some other resident that may have bought their ticket here.

DAVIS: That's right, this is right on the border, just feet from Maine, so it could be either New Hampshirite or a Maine person?

WHISTLER: The odds are pretty good.

DAVIS: All right, great. Now, how busy did it get here in New Hampshire, the lottery sales? The lottery fever was pretty hot and heavy?

WHISTLER: Oh, very hot and heavy. In fact, we sold eight million tickets just in the past few days. We sold $3 million worth of tickets just yesterday, a new record for us, and that translates into a total of $4 million going back to education, just from this week.

DAVIS: Your advice for the person out there -- there are four of them, I guess four ticket holders nationwide -- as the head of the New Hampshire lottery, what is your advice for these ticket holders now?

WHISTLER: First thing, make sure to sign the back of the ticket. That proves ownership of the ticket. Second thing, make sure it's in a safe place, don't lose it. After that, talk to an attorney, a financial adviser, get your financial things in order, and after that then come talk to us, we will walk you through the rest of the way.

DAVIS: All right, thanks. Rick Whistler, head of the New Hampshire lottery. Now, that winner of course, as he said, still has yet to come forward.

Now, in New Hampshire, lottery officials say that the ticket holder could claim the ticket in the form of a trust and remain anonymous, so there is a chance that we may never now who that winner is -- Brian.

NELSON: Patty, we will miss all that fun. What a shame.

Thank you, CNN's Patty Davis, who is Rollinsford, New Hampshire, talk to you later.

And of course, we will be tracking this Powerball story, four winners, $295 million, until we find out the winners or at least when we do -- if we do, we will bring them to you here on CNN.

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