Mi Hyun Moon walked into a Queens deli to get $5 in change — and walked out with $5 million.
The former New York resident was in town visiting friends last month when she purchased a Lotto ticket on a whim and scored the huge jackpot. It was the first she ever bought.
"It was surreal," Moon said yesterday. "I'm overjoyed!"
The 40-year-old mom of two is a native of Korea who lived for 20 years in Queens before moving just outside of Philadelphia.
She makes regular visits to the city, and on Sept. 14, decided to duck into the Imperial Deli on 21st Street in Long Island City to get some change before her bus ride home. She had to buy something to get the change, and decided to buy a Lotto ticket.
She even forgot to check if she won, and only realized she picked the right numbers four days after the Sept. 14 drawing.
"I come back to Queens to visit with family and friends about once a month or so. This is one visit I will never forget!" she said.
She will take home a $2,839,929 lump sum payout, which will be cut to $1,869,263 after taxes.
"To be honest, I am still getting over the initial shock," she said. "I am dreaming of all the things I can do with the money. The kids' college funds are paid for."
Moon — who showed up at a press conference yesterday with dark glasses and her hat pulled low — also said that she plans to donate money to her church.
(Click to display in gallery)
Thanks to emilyg for the tip.
Good for her..Beginners luck..I'd rather be lucky then good..Now go and hide!!..
RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME!, SHE CAN TURN IN THAT BUS PASS NOW!!
"You make a living by what you get, You make a life by what you give!"
Sir Winston Churchill
Congrats to Mrs. Moon on her win!
Now that's the way to do it, on the first try! God bless her.
So she wins $5 million and ends up with $1,829,263? OUCH!
Yep, the tax man doesn't invest a nickle but gets an over $970,000 piece of the action for absolutely nothing. Don'cha love it? What a racket.
Congratulations!!!!!!! Way to go!!!!!
You could be spending hundreds of dollars each month and not win anything substantial.
Remember the book keeper from NY who embezzeled more than $1,000,000 from her
employer and spent the money to buy lottery tickets and never won anything substantial?
And then this lady, a lotto first timer, decided to get 2 tickets because she needed change
and hit big, aint that the lotto demon at work?
Awesome story.
Yep, tax is a female dog up in NYC.
Other than that, she was at the right place and the right time.
Congratulations Mrs Moon.
What a way to win. First bet.
The Jackpot gods surely smiled down on her.
Spend it wisely....
A $5 Million lotto win down to $1.8 M is actually correct. In general, when you see a lotto win, divide by 3 and that's what you receive in cash after taxes. $5M/3 = $1.67 M cash. Because this is New York, I am surprised they allow lotto winners to keep so much. New York does tax their lotto winners. Luckily, in California, they do NOT tax lotto winnings, at least so far.
"The former New York resident was in town visiting friends last month when she purchased a Lotto ticket on a whim and scored the huge jackpot."
$5 Million is nice, but it is not a "huge jackpot." In California, the Super Lotto starts at $6M and goes all the way up to $100 Million. On September 1, 2007, the California Super Lotto was $93 Million. There was one winner and California does not tax their lotto winners, unlike New York.
Ouch? I'd take that kind of pain anyday.
Wow the tax is painful to see, she should have played in the UK as $5m won would have been tax free, I guess us players in the UK are fortunate to have a game that offers no tax deduction, anyway congrats to her
Buttercake,
no, the $5M is the lotto award over 20-26 years in payments. If you want all the cash upfront, then you typically divide by 2. After that you must take away US Federal Government (IRS) taxes, typically about 38%. After that, if the state taxes lotto winnings, you must take away state taxes, typically about 12%. New York taxes lotto winnings, California does not. This is why, to get a general idea how much someone wins in the USA, you divide the jackpot by 3 to get the cash payout after taxes. It's usually slightly more than that.
WTG thats a good hit
I do understand that if she decides to keep the whole $5m it is paid over 20+ years in instalements, and how the $5m won gets divded, what I was saying is that over here in the UK if you win $5m, $10m or whatever amount, it is paid out in one lump sum tax free there is no options for it to be paid out in instalements, what you win is what you get, so you win $10m today you call up the lotto office go down to collect the cheque for $10m, plus the sooner you call up the lotto office the sooner ineerest is paid into your bank account for the $10m won
Hi buttercake,
Do you pay any kind of income tax on it at the end of the year or any tax whatsoever at any time?
Congratulations
That's $onemillion,eighthundred sixtyninethousand twohundred and sixtythree dollars.Better than NOTHING !
The $5M would be with the Lottery investing in whatever, so the 2.x with cash option, and then taxes.
The $2.8M or so is what the total sales are for this jackpot so far MINUS the takeout (what the Lottery
uses for their costs or Education etc.), and then out of that is about 1/3 in taxes. The $5M is the advertised
*annuity* jackpot meaning over years it's invested and paid out slowly so the remaining balance earns
interest. The rule of thumb is, whatever the Annuity prize is ("The jackpot is now....") take a 1/3 portion of
it, and that is the net prize cash option, or 2/3 for Annuity.
The ticket says QP after the numbers so it is in error they say she "picked" them. It was random.
I remember when the people won at Chubb in nj, I said "buy oil NOW!"... it was $40/bbl. then. Now $80.
They'd have doubled their money!!!
Hi rdgrnr, No income tax or any form of tax is paid on any lottery wins here in the UK, it is 100% tax free.
hi im from australia. We also state our lotto is tax free, but it isnt. sure the winnings isnt taxed, but the gov still gets it tax how? every ticket purchased it taxed.
in a way i prefer the way the US taxes its lotto, i mean the winner can afford to be taxed more than all us losers can.
anyhow same her ein aust. its stated as tax free but it is just taxed form different people.