Breakfast Club Scores $842 Million Jackpot, Guaranteeing It Won’t Be Forgotten

Written By Corey Sharp on June 12, 2024 - Last Updated on June 13, 2024
Scene from The Breakfast Club movie plays behind the band Death Cab For Cutie during a tribute to director John Huges at the 2010 Critics Choice Awards. A Michigan Lottery Club, known as

A three-person group that go by “The Breakfast Club,” won an $842.4 million Powerball jackpot, the Michigan Lottery announced on Tuesday.

In the process — to bend the immortal words of Simple Minds, who provided the pivotal song from the 1985 John Hughes classic The Breakfast Club — the group guarantees it won’t be forgotten.

The trio bought the ticket on New Year’s Day of this year at Food Castle of Grand Blanc in Grand Blanc. It is the largest Powerball prize ever won in Michigan and the second-largest Lottery prize ever hit in the state.

The Breakfast Club, which have decided to remain anonymous, shared future plans with the influx of cash. They decided to accept the prize as a one-time lump sum of $425 million rather than annuity payments for the full amount. After taxes, the club is walking away with $305 million.

The state also provides Michigan online lottery games, too.

Michigan Powerball winners lives changed forever

Getting a payment of $305 million is going to change the lives of families and multiple generations. The Breakfast Club’s attorney, Mark K. Harder, said in a press release:

“As you can imagine, the club members have felt so many emotions since realizing their ticket was ‘the one.’ They’ve been elated and overwhelmed, thrilled, and nervous. They’ve gone from shock and sleepless nights to giving careful thought as to how this once-in-a-lifetime event will transform their lives.”

The announcement has been six months in the making. On Jan. 1, the club played the following numbers, which came out later that day: 12-21-42-44-49, PB: 01.

Two of the three members of the club are husband and wife. The pair still went to their respective jobs the next day, despite being in complete shock from learning they had won the jackpot.

“This prize will positively affect our family for generations to come,” a club member said. “Up until now, we have led a comfortable life and anticipated retiring someday. Now, we’re not financially bound to a specific timetable. The world – and our opportunities – have opened up in some incredible ways. This has been life changing for us.”

The club disclosed future plans which include early retirement, traveling, sharing profits with immediate family and giving back to nonprofits.

Seller of winning Powerball tickets benefits, too

Food Castle of Grand Blanc, which sold the winning ticket, also gets rewarded in the process. Because of the astronomical jackpot, the convenient store earned a $50,000 commission.

Michigan Lottery Commissioner, Suzanna Shkreli, spoke about the importance of a prize this large:

“Big jackpots are good news for Lottery retailers, like the Food Castle of Grand Blanc, which will receive a $50,000 bonus commission for selling the winning ticket, and for Michigan schools, which has received more than $1 billion in proceeds from the Lottery in each of the last five years.”

Food Castle of Grand Blanc selling the winning ticket has put the store on the map, said owner Bill Nannoshi. He also revealed plans on what he’s going to do with the bonus he’ll receive.

“We are going to donate every penny of the $50,000 to our employees and community,” he said.

Every time a player claims a Powerball victory, the jackpot goes down considerably. According to the Powerball website, a New Jersey winner won $223 million on Monday, which brought the jackpot back down to $20 million for Wednesday’s drawing.

While $20 million is nothing to sneeze at, the Powerball becomes incredibly popular when the jackpot reaches nine figures. People that purchase tickets hope to have the same luck as The Breakfast Club.

Though they remain anonymous, it’s a good bet that you can visualize their good fortune. To paraphrase the movie: you will see them as you want to see them.

Photo by Chris Pizzello / AP Photo
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Corey Sharp

Corey Sharp joined Catena Media in 2022 and is the go-to expert for Michigan gambling. Born and raised in Philadelphia, PA, he previously worked for the Philadelphia Inquirer and NBC Sports Philadelphia as a sports journalist and content producer. In Corey’s role as Lead Writer for PlayMichigan, he works alongside a talented team of expert journalists and analysts to bring you the most comprehensive and accurate coverage of gambling news in Michigan. Corey’s contacts around the industry makes him a trusted source. Corey produces daily stories and features about the gambling space. Corey graduated from Holy Family University in Philadelphia with a bachelor’s degree in sports management.

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