Powerball $2.04B Winner Bought at NFL Player’s Father-in-Law’s Business

Posted on: November 10, 2022, 10:28h. 

Last updated on: November 10, 2022, 12:01h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More
Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

The lucky winner of this week’s $2.04 billion Powerball drawing has yet to come forward to claim the historic jackpot. But one clear winner is NFL player Domata Peko’s much-admired father-in-law. The winning ticket was sold at his California gas station.

Joe Chahayed holds a check with his son, Joe Jr.
Joe Chahayed holds a facsimile check with his son, Joe Jr., outside of Joe’s Service Center in California. The gas station sold the winning $2.04B Powerball ticket. (Image: Damian Dovarganes/AP)

Joe Chahayed, known by customers as “Papa Joe,” has owned Joe’s Service Center in Altadena, Calif. for two decades. He will receive $1 million for selling the ticket.

But Chahayed plans to continue to keep on working at his station despite the generous payout.

I’m 75, still young. I will be here tomorrow at 6 o’clock. I love work,” Chahayed was quoted. While at the station this week, he was sporting a California Lottery hat and a T-shirt that read, “Millionaire Made Here.”

As for his payment from the lottery, he plans to give some of it to his five children and 11 grandchildren, according to the Bleacher Report. He may donate money to some local charities, too.

This week, lottery officials showed up to congratulate Chahayed. He, in turn, said he’s happy that the lottery benefits schools in California and hopes the winner is someone who lives in the local neighborhood.

Well Wishes from Customers

Many regulars at the gas station, located northeast of Los Angeles, came by this week to congratulate Chahayed on his large payment from the lottery.

He deserves it,” Kenny Devine told the Los Angeles Times. “He’s just an excellent person. Everybody loves Joe.”

Clarence Goin agreed.

“Couldn’t have happened to a better person,” he told the Times.

NFL Player Congratulates Wife’s Dad

This week, Peko went onto social media to congratulate his wife Anna’s father.

Though he’s not currently playing for an NFL team, Peko played as a nose tackle in the NFL for several years.

Peko was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played there for 11 seasons. Later, he played for the Denver Broncos, Baltimore Ravens, and Arizona Cardinals.

Earlier, he played at Michigan State.

Awaiting Winner

As of Thursday morning, the lottery winner has a year to come forward to claim the record-setting jackpot.

Somebody is holding onto a very important piece of paper this morning worth $2.04 billion,” California Lotto spokesperson Carolyn Becker said this week.

The winning numbers were 10, 33, 41, 47, and 56. The Powerball was 10.

The record Powerball drawing was delayed on Monday night because of heightened sales and technical problems, news reports said. The November 7 winning numbers were announced the following day.

The delay was blamed on the lottery in one unidentified state needing extra time to process ticket sales, the Multi-State Lottery Commission told CNN in a statement.

Winning the lottery meant beating great odds. The chance of a single ticket hitting the jackpot for the Powerball drawing was only about one in 292 million, Powerball officials revealed.