Well, we're celebrating a big
happy birthday to Powerball.
Big ball, right? Popular lottery
game turns 30 years old today.
I'm sure many of you played at
some point in your life, right?
Probably 1 something maybe.
I don't know a dollar or two.
How does that work?
Joe, we get a couple out of this
in the 30 year history of the
Powerball 36 Idahoans have won prizes
that have made them millionaires.
One man still owns the Idaho record
for biggest payout way back in 2005,
Brad Duke won more than $220 million on
Powerball, nearly ten years after that.
Pam Hyatt won about 90 million
from Powerball, and you know this.
They bought their tickets at
the same gas station in Boise.
Yes, the numbers of that
happening highly improbable.
Because of that the Jacksons on Orchard
is known as the luckiest store in America.
Well,
to mark the 30th birthday of Powerball,
Joe Paris visited the luckiest store
in America and revisited the memories
Brad Duke had of winning the big one,
the Powerball jackpot.
It's a celebration at a gas
station for one round, red regular.
It's 30 years for Mr.
Powerball on April 19th,
1992, a new lottery game.
Powerball sold its first ticket and
over the last 30 years in Idaho,
Powerball is sold close to $900
million in tickets in the Gem state,
Idahoans have won more
than 595 million in prizes,
while also contributing about $400
million in dividends to benefit Idaho
public schools and buildings in 2005.
Idaho and Brad Duke bought a
Powerball ticket that would go on to
be one of the biggest winners ever.
And as a part of the Powerball celebration,
Mr Duke sat down with KTVB to
reminisce about a dream so many I
fantasized about winning the lottery.
Who was I before
Duke was working in management for
a Treasure Valley Gold's Gym and was
passionate about his career path,
even before winning $220 million,
Duke felt he was on a
great path towards success.
I really didn't think things could get
better for me and I remember thinking.
And within that week this happened.
Duke, one of the largest
Powerball prizes to date,
from the exact same gas station that
Idaho and Pam Hyatt won her Powerball
jackpot from a decade earlier.
So who was the first person Mr.
Duke called? Well, it was his
dad's dad. Sit down and prepare for
some life changing news and he says Ohh,
you're getting married and I said
no and he goes well, you must be
that guy that won the lottery.
Duke recalls still working at Gold's
Gym right after he won the millions.
He did have to leave shortly after
because of all the attention and
distractions coming their way
and the phones were ringing off the hook
it out at some point had nothing to
do with inquiries about the business,
so but I I think I I kept teaching
spin class for. Over a year.
Yeah, so I was still showing up
and working twice a week on some
level for well over a year. Duke
took a lump sum payout from his big
win that by the way was a double win.
Did you know this Duke got first
and third prize on the same ticket?
But what to do with millions of dollars?
Best part of winning being
able to give back as as an.
In my retrospect it's been the best part.
Duke has worked to donate and
contribute to Idaho communities
through the Duke Family Foundation.
Another passion for Duke helping Idaho youth.
Our biggest partners are always youth
mentoring programs and and the notion
behind behind that is sometimes kids
can't pick their own circumstance.
But if you can influence a better
circumstance for a kid and they
go on to do something great,
that's it's kind of the pay it
forward thing that that me and
my family and my board really buy
into and and that's our focus.
The money, as you can imagine,
is of course incredible.
How could it not be?
Could you even make up what you would
do in your head with all that money?
Well, Duke says without being cliche,
though there is something from his journey.
That still brings him the most joy.
We didn't have a lot when we grew up.
But for for my parents to look upon
what we've done in our family name.
Is and to see how proud my dad is is.
Is as good as the projects
itself at times. Lots
more plans. OK, so some of us have been
around long enough to remember when
Allison Newton talked to Brad Duke when
he won that he was in hiding for a bit.
But then he said he has even bigger plans.
Like he said back then that he
wanted to turn that 220,000,000
into a billion dollars. How close
is he? He hasn't done
it and actually we talked to him
about that on Friday and we asked,
well, do you plan on still doing
this and he said yes, it's
still part of his top three priorities
in life is to turn his earnings
and all his work into a billion
dollars. He hasn't done it yet but.
I guess fingers crossed maybe he'll get to do
it. I think it's so interesting
Brian and you know the story
going back to 2005, Mr Duke.
Actually he actively tried to win
the Powerball using different
patterns and strategies to get out
there and get the best combination.
I think it's really interesting to
me and maybe I should have mentioned
this so he wins $220 million on the
ticket 2 lines down as we showed
you he was still a $10,000 winner.
So he has a system.
Clearly it worked for
him. I I have my own system Brian,
I just print the money myself.
Just printed out yourself.
Joe bucks. How often does he?
Play. Now I don't know.
OK 'cause I'm gonna say we're all kind
of working on a billion dollars. I mean.
But yeah, if he hasn't won since,
that formula might need to be a
little tweaked. Might be well.
I think he's also trying to build the.
Anyways that's true I think.
Look for some Joe bucks out there.
Joe bucks.