Time does not wait in Dubai. It is an impatient measure of what is immediately past and what is going to happen next. And so it is for Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum who dreamt the same dreams of his father, Sheikh Rashid…the dream of transforming Dubai from a sleepy seaport dependent on pearling into an international trading center sustaining his people into the future. Yet this Sheikh doesn’t just conjur; he plans and executes. He hires the brightest of talent and expects the best in performance. He operates, in part, from OPM (other people’s money)…investment dollars. And like any dream that requires a kind of myopia with the reality of investments amid world fiscal meltdowns and international terrorism, Sheikh Mohammed never wavered from his vision of Dubai. Much like the racehorse in flight, he grabs the bit and charges forward. - There are at least three winning tickets in the US for the record $1.6bn (£1.1bn) lottery jackpot, officials have said.
The winning tickets in the Powerball jackpot were sold in California, Tennessee and Florida.
The previous draw was the 19th without a grand prize winner, which requires all six numbers to match.
Officials said it would take several hours to know if there were any other winning tickets.
Powerball USA tweetImage copyrightPowerball USA
Winning numbers in 13 January draw
The identity of the winners is not yet known.
Thousands of people queued up outside shops across the US on Wednesday, hoping to defy the odds of 292.2 million to one.
California Lottery tweeted that the winning ticket in the state was sold at a 7-Eleven store in Chino Hills, a suburb east of Los Angeles.
Television pictures showed a cheering crowd gathering at the shop after the result was announced.
The winners will share a prize of $1.586bn. They can collect their winnings in annual payments over 29 years, or opt to share a lump-sum payment of $930m.
The government will also share in the big prize, however, levying a 39.6% federal income tax on the winners - and the payout will also be subject any taxes that the winners' home states may impose.
Post a Comment