Sixth Largest Powerball Prize Won in New Jersey

Where was the jackpot winning ticket sold? 

Pearlie Mae Smith, a pastor in a church in Trenton, bought the winning ticket at a 7-Eleven store, located on 750 Chambers Street, Trenton, in Mercer County. She bought one Powerball ticket for the drawing on May 4th and one ticket for the drawing on May 7th, which ended up being the jackpot winning ticket. Pearlie chose the same numbers for both tickets and opted for the Power Play option, which increases the value of any non-jackpot winnings for an additional $1. You can find out more about Powerball prizes by visiting the dedicated page. 

How were the winning numbers chosen? 

When choosing the Powerball numbers, the 70-year-old told lottery officials that a set of numbers “popped into her head” and she decided to trust her intuition. A family spokesperson, Valerie Arthur, commented on the winning numbers, saying that, "Divine intervention provided the winning numbers to my mother in a dream" and the numbers didn’t consist of any birthdays or anniversaries. 

The family expressed their gratitude for winning the Powerball jackpot and on finding out about the win, said:  "It was a big shock. It was a bigger shock when we learned we were the only ticket holder."

The Smith Family lottery pool comprises of eight family members, who live in Trenton and Newark. The family members include siblings; Steven Smith, Jacqueline Sessoms, Marsha-Ann Smith, and Rene Smith from Trenton and Tracy Smith and Katherine Nunnally from Newark. 

What will they buy first with the Powerball winnings? 

Members of the Smith family plan on keeping their jobs, especially Cathy Smith. Cathy runs a mentoring program for young women and "It has been a struggle to get funding." Valerie spoke on her behalf, saying, "Now she has her own funding. She can go and change lives on her own accord."

The family also plan on contributing 10 percent of the winnings to religious organizations. The family opted for the cash-lump sum of $284 million pre-taxes. You can learn more about the different options for claiming a Powerball jackpot on the Cash vs Annuity page.

Become a Powerball Winner 

Tomorrow’s Powerball jackpot is an estimated $50 million. There’s still time to get your Powerball tickets from any authorized retailer in participating states or fans of the game can choose their numbers online. The winning numbers will appear on the Latest Numbers section along with information about winners and payouts. Good luck in the drawing!