Retired Principal Wins $326 Million Jackpot

A retired school principal is the sole winner of the $326 million Mega Millions jackpot drawn on Nov. 4, the biggest prize in New York Lottery history, officials announced Monday.

Harold Diamond, 80, of the Sullivan County town of Wurtsboro, said he bought the ticket at a highway service center where he had stopped at his wife’s insistence to wait out a storm. As they ate lunch, Diamond noticed the flashing Mega Millions sign and decided to spend $10 for 10 sets of Quick Pick numbers.

“I put the ticket in my wallet and forgot about it,” Diamond said. “I went to play golf the next day and the guys in the clubhouse were talking about the jackpot-winning ticket someone bought at a Valero on Route 302, and I thought, wait a minute — I bought a ticket there last night!”

Diamond said he dashed home, checked his tickets and found he had the winner.

“I was in a dither, a real daze,” said Diamond, who chose to take the cash value, which comes to about $130 million after taxes.

Diamond said he owes his good fortune to his wife, Carol, a retired math teacher. Plans for the money include helping family and “giving back to the local community.”

This article appeared in print on page 6 of the January 13th, 2015 edition of Hamodia.