After winning a billion in the lottery, man reveals simple purchase

Last week, the winner of the Mega Millions lottery in the United States surprised everyone by revealing that the first purchase he would make with his US$ 348 million (around R$1 billion) would be a state-of-the-art lawn mower, which costs around US$3,000.

The lucky winner, who preferred to remain anonymous, broke a historic record, becoming the first person to win such a large prize in the state of Virginia. He claimed the prize about four weeks after the drawing.

The lottery in question, however, has a catch. The winner can choose between receiving a considerably smaller amount in a single immediate deposit or the full amount, which would be paid in installments over 30 years.

The winner, who collected his prize in July of this year, chose to receive $155.6 million in one lump sum, approximately R$800 million. In the US state, the law allows winners of prizes greater than $1 million to remain anonymous. Their identities are only revealed with written permission.

Since the lucky winner's victory on June 27, no one else has won the grand prize, which currently stands at US$277 million.