The identity of Australia’s mystery $100 million Powerball winner has become one of the worst-kept secrets in a New South Wales town, where residents are convinced they have worked out who holds the extraordinary fortune.
The jackpot was won by a woman from Ballina on October 15, after she purchased an $18.90 ticket online at the last minute. She was the only person in Australia to match all eight winning numbers.
Although the lucky winner has not been named publicly, that has done little to quiet speculation. In the close-knit community, rumours have been spreading about the identity of the person who landed the life-changing Powerball prize.
A local couple has emerged as the focus of the town’s growing speculation.
The man is described as a prominent local figure, while his long-term partner—believed by residents to have bought the winning ticket—is reportedly known for her love of bingo.
‘Someone saw them dressed up to the nines,’ one local said. ‘Apparently, they put a load of money behind the bar at the pub.
‘They were also seen at the butcher’s splashing out. I heard Wagyu steaks were on the menu that night.’
A second person told the Daily Mail: ‘One of the kids or grandkids posted it on Facebook.
The identity of Australia’s $100 million Powerball winner has become one of the worst-kept secrets in a New South Wales town, where residents believe they know who has claimed the huge fortune. (Pictured: an aerial view of Ballina; the suspected winner’s home is not shown)
Daily Mail reporter Jonica Bray spoke with the bingo-loving grandmother whom locals believe bought the winning ticket, after ‘one of the kids or grandkids’ allegedly revealed the jackpot win on Facebook
This week, Mail reporter Jonica Bray spoke with Ballina residents about the rumours sweeping through town that a local grandmother bought the $100 million Powerball ticket
‘It got deleted pretty quickly, but it’s all anyone is talking about now.’
The speculation is not limited to local residents. Some members of the couple’s family also appear convinced they are the mystery winners and may soon receive a financial boost.
‘Everyone knows it’s them,’ a family member told the Mail.
‘But they are trying to keep it quiet because they have been told they should.’
‘That’s what I was told, but it wasn’t by them personally. I don’t want to ring them and ask. They will tell us when they are ready.’
One member of the couple is regarded as a respected community leader. His partner is known for her enthusiasm for the online game Bingo Blitz and is reportedly a regular contributor to forums dedicated to it.
The winner, whose identity remains confidential, told lottery officials that she believed the jackpot was a sign from a loved one who had recently died.
‘We recently had a death in the family, and I think it’s a sign from them; they’re so looking after me,’ she was quoted as saying in a Lott press release.
A local couple (not pictured) is at the centre of the town’s speculation. The Mail spoke with Ballina residents this week about the gossip, with many pointing to the same woman as the suspected winner
The Big Prawn is one of Ballina’s most famous tourist attractions. This week, the town is just as famous for one of its residents winning Australia’s biggest ever lottery
‘We’ve had signs all day from them; things moving, cans moving, bags waving in the wind.’
Locals say that detail has only strengthened their suspicions about the couple.
A mate noted that a family member of the suspected winning couple died last month and a funeral was held prior to the lottery win.
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‘[He] did the speech at the funeral and [she] wrote a poem. They were close, so that’s who they are talking about [in the press release],’ the friend speculated.
But the couple at the centre of the speculation have a very different story to tell.
‘Not me, darling,’ the man told the Daily Mail from the housing commission home where he has lived for well over a decade.
‘We didn’t win it. Honest to God, we didn’t win anything. We probably wouldn’t be here if we had.’
‘We wouldn’t be here if we won that money a week ago,’ added the woman.
‘We’d be away somewhere. We’d be on holiday.’
When pressed about the town’s suspicions, including the coincidence involving a recently deceased loved one, the woman looked surprised before glancing over at her partner.
She then accused those spreading the rumours of ‘lying’, insisting it was ‘100 per cent not us’.
The man even suggested the real winner might be living nearby.
A Ballina woman from Northern NSW is $100million richer after winning Thursday night’s Powerball jackpot. (Stock image supplied by The Lott posed by models)
The lucky winner was surrounded by loved ones when informed of her life-changing windfall
‘Go across the road and ask them. Maybe they won it,’ he said.
Despite their emphatic denials, one family friend said he doesn’t believe it for a second and had already congratulated the man in person.
The friend said the man denied the win but he had expected that response.
‘They would say that, wouldn’t they?’ he said.
‘They have been given in-depth privacy training, which is something they offer to all big winners.
‘The advice is not to tell people, not to make impulsive decisions and to spend quietly over the first few months. I looked it up; there was a booklet online.’
According to figures published by The Lott, while 64 per cent of winners tell their immediate family, only around 9 per cent tell their broader family, and just 3 per cent tell people outside the family.
Even spending their fortune can leave lottery winners worried about what others think.
A survey of 420 Swedish winners found most avoided discussing their spending for fear of appearing showy, while earlier Finnish research found some bought more modest cars than they wanted or could afford to keep a low profile.
And whatever the truth behind the Ballina rumours, there are certainly no obvious signs of a $100million windfall at the couple’s home.
There are no flashy new cars in the driveway, no lavish overseas holidays and no apparent spending spree.
Almost three weeks after the draw, they’re still driving their old car and shopping at their local Coles, just as they always have.
Do you know more? Email Jonica.bray@dailymail.com.au