LANSING, Mich.– A Taylor man feels like he is “living the American dream” after winning $2 million playing the Michigan Lottery’s Powerball game.
Didier Biongo, of Taylor, matched the five white balls – 02-07-11-17-32 – in the Sept. 29 drawing to win a $1 million prize. Thanks to the Powerplay, the prize was multiplied to $2 million. He bought his winning ticket at the Mobil gas station, located at 9190 Pelham Road in Taylor.
“I like the Powerball game and play it frequently,” said Biongo. “I checked my ticket at a retailer a few days after the drawing and got a message to visit a claim center, so I checked the winning numbers.
“When I saw I had matched five numbers and won $2 million, I didn’t believe it. I scanned my ticket at least 10 more times to be sure I had actually won.” The 52-year-old Biongo recently visited Lottery headquarters to claim his prize. With his winnings he plans to purchase a new home and then invest the remainder.
“Being from Africa originally, winning feels like I am truly living the American dream. It’s a dream come true,” said Biongo.
Powerball plays may be purchased for $2 each at Lottery retailers across the state and online at MichiganLottery.com. A “Power Play” option that multiplies non-jackpot prizes by up to 10 times to a maximum of $2 million may be added to any Powerball play for only $1. For an additional $1 per play, Double Play may be added to a Powerball ticket, giving players a second chance to win up to $10 million in the nightly Double Play drawing.
The Powerball drawing takes place at 10:59 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday and may be watched live online at: http://www.powerball.com. Powerball tickets are sold in 45 states, Washington D.C., U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico.