Cheng Saephan, Oregon Powerball winner, reveals where he spends his $1.3 billion
Cheng ‘Charlie’ Saephan's Powerball ticket won him $1.3 billion in April last year and the cancer survivor's life has changed since
Cheng ‘Charlie’ Saephan's Powerball ticket won him $1.3 billion in April last year and the cancer survivor's life has changed since. The 47-year-old had shared the prize with his wife Duanpen Saephan, 38, and friend Liza Chao with the couple splitting over $422 million after-tax-withholdings lump sum.
A year has passed since Saephan's lottery win, the largest in Oregon's history and the fourth-largest Powerball jackpot ever. He recently spoke about being greeted by a woman at a Portland Blazers game. She immediately recognized him.
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“I had a beer in my hand and we cheered and she was acting like she knew me. I said, 'Do I know you?’ and she said, ‘I saw you on the news. You look like the guy who won the lottery',” Saephan recalled, according to Katu.com.
The 47-year-old is an immigrant born in Laos. He moved to the US in 1994 and has been battling cancer since 2016.
Saephan is an immigrant born in Laos who moved to the United States in 1994 and has been battling cancer since 2016. He worked as a machinist in the aerospace industry before his cancer diagnosis.
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What has changed in Saephan's life since winning the Powerball lottery
Cheng Saephan said he has been focusing on his health and battling cancer since winning the lottery. He also went on a trip to Las Vegas. But mostly, the 47-year-old remains in the Portland area and has undergone two surgeries.
“I don’t worry about money now. I’ve got my family set up,” he revealed, as per Katu.com. He used his winnings to buy a new home for his family and also bought a metallic, neon Lamborghini for himself. Saephan has invested in east-side apartments and is supporting a local Thai restaurant group.
Saephan noted that his day-to-day life remains unchanged. He is continuing to enjoy a simple life and still plays the lottery, buying Powerball and Megabucks tickets weekly.
