International14 FRIDAY, JANUARY 15, 2016 Three winners hit $1.6 bn US lottery jackpot

LOS ANGELES: Three winning tickets shared a $1.6 billion bonan- za in the US Powerball lottery on Wednesday, after millions of peo- ple tuned in to see the fate of the world-record jackpot live on TV. The winning numbers were 4, 8, 19, 27 and 34, with a 10 as the so- called Powerball number. Lottery fever gripped the United States, with people forming long lines outside stores to buy tickets and then frantically checking their $2 slips to see if they had hit the mammoth jackpot. “It’s official! There were 3 jackpot-winning tick- ets in tonight’s Powerball draw: California, Florida & Tennessee,” California Lottery tweeted. Local television showed swarms of peo- ple, many cheering and chanting, descending on the Los Angeles convenience store where the California ticket was sold. The jackpot, which had stood at $1.5 billion for much of the day, eventually crept up to nearly $1.59 billion, a record in the US lottery industry. The three winners will rake in an eye-watering $528.8 million each, NBC News said, although the taxman will soon come calling. The odds of winning were at least one in 292 million. There was a windfall too for Balbir Atwal, owner of a 7-Eleven franchise in Chino Hills, a Los Angeles suburb, who will pocket a $1 million bonus for selling a winning ticket. “I didn’t expect this big crowd but my Chino Hills customers love me, and I love them,” he told CNN, grinning broadly. Despite the miniscule chances of hitting MOSCOW: Russian Kalmyk businessman mogul Kirsan Ilyumzhinov speaks during an interview. During his the jackpot, shops all over the United States did a roaring trade in controversial 20-year reign as President of FIDE (Wolrd Federation), Russian Kalmyk businessman frenzied last-minute ticket sales in the final hours before the live Kirsan Ilyumzhinov met Libyan leader Mouammar Kadhafi, Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and he’s from now raw. Office workers dashed out between meetings to buy tickets, on the US black list for his alleged support to the Syrian regime. —AFP fantasizing about what they would do with the winnings, and commuters in New York joked about scooping the jackpot to Check-mate: Russian chess save them from the deep freeze of winter. Record sales For days, the talk of the nation, from coast to coast, and even from Canada to Mexico, was: will someone finally win the first chief defends ties to Assad Powerball in two months and, if you were to win, how would you spend such a whopping jackpot? “I’m not a regular, but why not? MOSCOW: As world chess chief, Kirsan when the collapsed, said he around a chessboard or through negoti- Like the commercial says, ‘Hey, you never know,’” said Nick Ilyumzhinov rubbed shoulders with the would now seek the “small sum” of $50 ation.” Friedberg, a carpenter and father of two drinking coffee on a bit- reviled Moamer Kadhafi and Saddam billion in compensation from the United terly cold street in Manhattan. “Non-stop, everyone’s talking Hussein and says aliens once abducted States for his addition to the blacklist. He Kasparov feud about it,” he said, running through a list of things he would like to him, but it is his ties with the Syrian regime called the US decision was a “jab at Ilyumzhinov denies he is a friend of buy. “Do the world, that’s for sure. “I’d love to go to Europe, never that finally landed him on a US blacklist. Russia” and his own prestige. President Vladimir Putin and claims he been. There are a lot of stuff over there I’d like to see, Italy and all Two months ago, the colorful Russian has not had close ties with the Russian that history. I like all that stuff,” he said. Lottery executives say business mogul was forced to temporarily Chess with Kadhafi government since resigning as head of ticket sales reached record levels, generating more than $1 mil- transfer to his deputy most of his powers Ilyumzhinov is a divisive and often in 2010. “We’re colleagues,” he lion an hour in Texas alone in the final build-up to the draw. as president of the World Chess unpopular figure in the chess world. He said of Putin. “I don’t drink tea with him Wednesday’s jackpot started at $40 million on November 7 and Federation (FIDE) for the last 20 years. famously claimed he was kidnapped by every day.” Ilyumzhinov beat Kasparov in was the result of 20 draws with no overall winner. “Sales are “These sanctions are a reward,” he aliens wearing yellow spacesuits in 1997. the 2014 FIDE elections by a 110-61 vote, doing exponentially more than we’ve ever done before,” Gary said. “Not every person gets to be on a He says he is also in his “69th life” thanks condemning his opponent for basing his Grief, chair of the Powerball game group, told AFP on Tuesday. sanctions list.” Ilyumzhinov’s contact with to reincarnation, and “stretches his days campaign on anti-Russian sentiment. “I’m hearing anecdotally and through news outlets, millions of ’s embattled President Bashar al- out to 25 hours” thanks to meditation. Kasparov-a firm opponent of Putin’s rule- people who have never played Powerball before are indeed pur- Assad is the latest in a series of scandals He has been harshly criticized by world has meanwhile accused Ilyumzhinov of chasing a ticket.” It was a bonanza of sorts for retailers too, partic- and oddities that have marked his tenure champions and Garry corruption and channeling FIDE money to ularly those in US states bordering the handful that do not partici- as FIDE head-and threaten to shake his Kasparov, who ran against him in the Russian secret services, charges the FIDE pate in the game. The lottery had anticipated that 85 percent of grip on the sport. But the 53-year-old con- 2010 and 2014 FIDE elections, respective- president denied. all possible combinations would be wagered on so there was an firmed Buddhist-who for 17 years headed ly. The chess chief has mixed with some of “Ilyumzhinov has lied consistently, 85 percent likelihood of a jackpot winner on Wednesday night. Kalmykia, Russia’s only Buddhist region- the world’s most dubious leaders, includ- constantly, since taking over FIDE 20 years The previous US jackpot record of $656 million, on March 30, appeared undaunted during an interview ing Assad, Hussein and Kadhafi, precisely ago,” Kasparov said in a Facebook post 2012, was scooped up by three winners from North Carolina, in his Moscow office, serving tea under as they were facing strong international last month. “US and European sanctions Puerto Rico and Texas. The world’s richest lottery is Spain’s annual the gaze of the Dalai Lama, whose por- opposition. have made it harder for the KGB (currently Christmas “El Gordo,” which in 2015 handed out 2.2 billion Euros trait adorns the wall. During NATO’s bombing of Tripoli in known as the FSB) to move money to its ($2.4 billion) but which capped individual wins at 400,000 Euros In November, the US Treasury added June 2011, Ilyumzhinov travelled to the assets and FIDE has proven to be a useful and handed out thousands of smaller prizes. —AFP Ilyumzhinov to a punitive list over Syria, Libyan capital to play a highly-publicized conduit.” Turkish President Recep Tayyip accusing him of “materially assisting and chess match with Kadhafi, awarding him Erdogan has also accused Ilyumzhinov of acting for or on the behalf of” the Syrian the title of “International Grandmaster”. involvement in illegal oil trade with the government as well as the central bank “Kadhafi and I signed an agreement on Islamic State (IS) group in Syria, counter- and its governor. Ilyumzhinov said he has chess programs in schools,” Ilyumzhinov ing Russian allegations that his own fami- “very good relations” with the Syrian lead- said. “What’s wrong with that? I was ly was importing oil from the jihadists. ership, having regularly visited the coun- impressed with him. Did you know he The sanctions against Ilyumzhinov for- try since the 1990s and hosted youth wrote poetry?” bid US individuals or entities from doing chess tournaments there. He said he met Ilyumzhinov-who was chess champi- business with those on the blacklist, Assad in 2012 for a three-hour talk during on of Kalmykia at age 14 but never chal- restricting their access to international which the Syrian dictator recalled his lenged the sport’s greats-boasts he financial networks. Ilyumzhinov said FIDE chess-playing days as a medical student spends his fortune on promoting chess would nonetheless declare 2016 the “Year in London. and spirituality instead of buying yachts of Chess” in the United States. He added “I have friends in Libya, Syria, Iraq, and mansions on the French Riviera. He he was also contemplating opening a France, the US, and I don’t hide it,” views himself as a messenger of peace, pro-democracy foundation there. “I don’t Ilyumzhinov said. “I plan to go to likening himself to UN Secretary General consider that the US is against me,” Damascus again to see what the situation Ban Ki-moon. “If you want peace, you Ilyumzhinov said. “I’m in favor of America. TAMPA: Ryan McGuinness, (left) and Shane Krugman is like.” The chess boss, who made a for- have to interact,” Ilyumzhinov said. “I They gave me sanctions, I gave them 30 display 3,000 Powerball lottery tickets that they had tune in the banking and auto industries believe everything must be resolved chess tournaments.” —AFP purchased from the Metro Market. —AP