How would you spend $1.7 billion? Locals dream of a new life as Powerball jackpot soars

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) — $1.7 billion! That’s where the Powerball jackpot now stands — since no one took home the dough in Wednesday night’s drawing.

ABC Columbia’s Lee Williams asked folks to share their dreams, should they become an overnight billionaire.

“Quit my job. I would quit my job. I would definitely pay off all my loans, and I would definitely move to a new country and just enjoy life,” says Monica McFadden. 

“No one would ever see me ever again. I would travel the whole world. I would include my family once in a while. And I would get a chauffeur. I don’t like to drive,” jokes Clara Chaumont. 

“Well first of all I’d take care of my family, and make sure my children were taken care of and they have their new houses and new cars they’ve been wanting and I would travel the world,” says Deana Clarke.

“I have never won anything so I don’t know what I would do, but I would probably travel with her (Chaumont),” says Maryann Frazier. 

Holli Armstrong with the SC Education Lottery says this is the third largest jackpot the U.S. has ever seen, with a cash payout of around $770 million dollars.

“The biggest Powerball jackpot was a $2 billion jackpot and that was in 2022,” says Armstrong.

Odds of winning are one in just under 293 million.

“I would probably go travel the world,” says Molly Copponi. 

“I’m gonna go ghost. I would disappear, nobody would see me with my money,” says Jyonna Creech. 

And Armstrong says ghosting is allowed! In SC, you don’t have to tell a soul.

“In SC, you can choose to be anonymous. We will keep your identity private and you get to tell who you want to tell and enjoy it how you’d like to enjoy it,” says Armstrong.

“The first thing I would do is give back to my alma mater, and so my high school, Lower Richland High School in Hopkins, and the most illustrious HBCU which is Benedict College,” says Latash Adams. 

“I would put it to the side and put me and brothers through college first, and then the rest, housing and vacations,” says Savannah Taylor. 

“I grew up very sickly, so healing the world is a real big thing for me, so right now I’m trying to get my herbalist business back right so I would put that into motion and open a homeless shelter called ‘Big Mama’s House,'” says Treyshawn Salley. 

“I want all of it at once, give me my money!!” laughs Adams. 

Armstrong says there have been at least seven large winners in SC over her 20 year career.

Should you have the matching numbers, she says there are a couple of things you should do!

“If you win the jackpot, the jackpot winners I’ve met, they’re just a little overwhelmed at first. They’re obviously very very excited. It really is a life changing sum of money and it really needs to be managed accordingly. So we do encourage if you win the jackpot, seek financial and legal advice, so you can get yourself set up and managed, so you can enjoy the prize for years to come,” she says.

The next Powerball drawing is Saturday, September 6th at 10:59 pm.