Meet America’s luckiest family lottery syndicate!

On 19 October 2005, the West family of Jacksonville, Oregon became one of the richest lottery syndicates of all time by winning a staggering $340,000,000  playing the Powerball Lottery. The immense jackpot resulted in a family fortune of $164,410,058 after taxes, with the West’s electing to take their Powerball winnings in one huge lump sum.

Winning Family Lottery Syndicate

The winning lottery syndicate was made up of Frances and Bob Chaney, their daughter Carolyn West, and her husband, Steve West, who all lived in Jacksonville, Oregon. At the time the lottery win of $340 million was the largest in the history of Powerball at the time, although of course that amount seems small in comparison to the current world-record Powerball jackpot. In true family fashion, the money was also shared amongst immediate and close family with over $10 million going to brothers and sisters-in-law, with plenty of money still left to be shared amonst other friends and relatives. 

The family syndicate's investment of $40 in Powerball tickets certainly turned out to reap very rich dividends. At the time, then 68-year old Frances Chaney said: "I'm still in disbelief that we won the big one. We have a long road ahead of us, and I just pray every day that the Lord will lead us and guide us with this blessing he has bestowed on us."

Certainly those family members and friends who received a share of the syndicates monster jackpot win will have felt very blessed!