Brooklyn Mail Room Clerk Collects $3,000,000 Jumbo Bucks Top Prize

Brooklyn's newest Lottery Millionaire, Tristan Assent, credits his recent ascent from mail room clerk to multi-millionaire to a funny TV ad he saw after another long day sorting and delivering mail. The soon-to-be ex-shipping room assistant said he saw the commercial for the New York Lottery's Jumbo Bucks instant game featuring an optimistic mail room clerk who dreams of hitting it big, and he knew he had to buy one of the $10 tickets for himself.

"I laughed when I saw the ad featuring this mail room guy talking about hitting the jackpot," said Assent whose work responsibilities include distributing mail and sorting videos for a Manhattan-based commercial editing company. "I can relate to that guy. It sounded like a great alternative to working."

The new 26-year-old Lottery Millionaire from Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood purchased his winning Jumbo Bucks ticket on February 20, 2009 during his regular Friday night stop at the N Q Supermarket on Nostrand Avenue in Brooklyn to buy a few Mega Millions tickets.

"I spend about $40 a month on this dream of mine," said Assent. "And I don't usually buy instant tickets, so I didn't really know what to do when I scratched this one. I just kept staring at it before I decided to mail it into the Lottery for payment."

As is the case with most New York Lottery instant game prizes, the top prize on the Jumbo Bucks ticket is paid as a 20-year annuity. Assent will receive his $3,000,000 prize in 20 annual payments of $150,000 before required tax withholdings. His annual net check will total $96,753.

Assent said he plans to take it easy for a while before trying his luck as an entrepreneur. "I can see myself opening my own business, maybe a laundromat," he said. "I just don't want to be bored anymore."

As for any immediate purchases, Assent said now might be an excellent time to buy the condo of his dreams. "And, a new Range Rover for the driveway."

The New York Lottery contributed nearly $2.6 billion in fiscal year 2007-08 to help support education in New York State, over 13 percent of total state education funding to local school districts. The New York Lottery continues to be North America's largest and most profitable Lottery, earning over $34.2 billion in education support statewide since its founding over 40 years ago.

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