(CNN) — The owner of Joe’s Service Center in Altadena, California, who emigrated to the United States from Syria in 1980 with $14,000 in his pocket, is now a millionaire after selling his only winning Powerball lottery ticket.
California Lottery officials present checks to Joe Chaaid and his sons Joe Jr. and Danny outside their gas station on rainy election day.
Chayad said the lottery officials were waiting for him before his shop opened this morning. “He told me: ‘Congratulations, your station delivered a winner,'” he said. Chayd hopes the winner is from the neighborhood and is glad that some of the lottery money goes to schools in California.
“I have 11 grandchildren and I want to share with them,” he said, thanking the media for coming out in the rain to celebrate the award. “I encourage you to buy a ticket at this station. We guarantee that one day you will be a winner too,” Chayad said.
“Someone this morning has a very important piece of paper worth $2.04 billion, that’s $2.4 million. That person has to keep it safe. We won’t know who it is until they show up, but we have There is other information.” The thing to talk about today is that the California Lottery has raised more money than ever before for increased jackpots for California public schools,” said California Lottery spokeswoman Carolyn Baker. The lottery has produced a billionaire.
Chayad came to America 42 years ago with his wife and two children. “I work hard, seven days a week, I raise my kids, I graduated from university, I buy a house and a business, it’s all because I work hard and I’m an honest person,” Chayd said.
