After a month of speculation and anticipation, the winner of the massive $754 million Powerball jackpot has been revealed to be longtime Boeing employee Becky Bell.
Despite the announcement, Bell is looking to maintain a sense of normalcy. Therefore, the Auburn resident is not speaking with the media. Joshua Johnston with Washington’s Lottery shared the story of her life-changing ticket purchase on her behalf.
According to Johnston, Bell was with her daughter at the Fred Meyer in Auburn when she saw the advertisement for the $747 million jackpot.
“She worked at Boeing, they had just rolled the last 747 off the line and just felt like there was an omen,” said Johnston. “She bought one more ticket and it just happened to be the big winner.”
Bell, who had worked at Boeing for the past 36 years, was planning to retire this summer but with millions now in hand, she has pushed up her retirement to the end of March. She wants to give some of her winnings to her kids and sisters and plans to invest the rest. A financial advisor has been with her every step of the way, according to Washington’s Lottery.
“This is generational wealth,” Johnston said. “This means she’s set for life, her kids are set for life, and their kids are set for life.”
Before Bell, there was only one other Powerball jackpot winner from Washington state, who was also from Auburn. What’s even more remarkable is that her husband worked at the same Boeing warehouse as Bell.
Washington’s Lottery calls Bell’s win a “wonderful, wonderful story.”
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