He was in it to win it — no matter how long it took.
A US Army vet and retired police detective who said that the California lottery was taking too long to pay out his jaw-dropping $44.3 million jackpot has finally claimed his winnings after months of waiting — and has a plan for the prize.
“I’m a very fortunate human being,” Jerry Heath told the California Lottery after claiming the life-changing sum late last month.
The lottery fanatic, who served six years in the Army before becoming a detective with the Long Beach Police Department, purchased the lucky ticket for the Aug. 19 drawing at a Ralphs grocery store in southern Orange County.
Soon after, he was delighted to discover he was the sole winner of the $44.3 million top prize.
The winning numbers were 1, 2, 15, 23, 28, and the red Powerball 10 — Heath’s lucky number.
“Six numbers on the Powerball is … the odds are you’ll die before … You’ll walk out and get hit by lightning before you win that one,” he said in October.
However, due to a lengthy vetting period to prove he was the rightful winner, he waited nearly five months to claim his lump-sum option of almost $17 million.
“I felt great but I was so stressed about it,” Heath told ABC 7. “I am thankful. I am going to be a millionaire for the rest of my life.”
The Army Veteran said he plans to share his newfound wealth with his daughter and grandchildren.
He also revealed that he’s since paid off his home and invested some of the winnings.
Heath described himself as a simple man from a low-income upbringing and said that becoming a millionaire won’t change his love for playing the lottery.
“I can’t forget where I came from now that I’m a multimillionaire,” the veteran said. “I don’t really travel; playing the lottery is my only luxury.”
As a daily lottery player, Heath never shied away from playing, knowing that the chunk of the money was helping the Golden State’s education system.
For every $2 Powerball ticket sold in California, about 80 cents help fund public schools, Cal Lottery shared in a 2023 press release.
Since its beginning in 1985, the California Lottery has generated more than $46 billion for public schools in the state.
According to Cal Lottery, in the 2023-2024 Fiscal Year, the lottery raised a record of more than $2 billion for education.
Lottery officials conduct a vetting process on any person claiming to have a winning ticket, including an investigation from the lottery’s law enforcement team and cross-checking to ensure the winner doesn’t owe the state any taxes or child support.
The earliest a winner may start enjoying their prize is four weeks, but this rarely happens.
“California Lottery processes, believe it or not, 10,000-plus claims a month, so we want to manage the expectations of our winners,” Cal lottery official Carolyn Becker told ABC 7 in October.
The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are an astronomical 1 in 292,201,338.
The Powerball is currently up to $240 million, with a cash payout of $113.6 million for Wednesday’s 11 p.m. drawing.
