Marvin and Mae Acosta – California’s Biggest Powerball Winners

In 2016 the US Powerball rolled over to a whopping $1.6 billion – the largest amount in Powerball history. Everyone waited in anticipation but only three tickets had the winning numbers. Two out of the three winners came forward to claim their prize. Where was the other winner? Everyone waited in anticipation for the last winner to come forward.

Six months later Marvin and Mae Acosta eventually came forward to claim their prize. But why did the couple take so long to come forward? Find out more about Marvin and Mae Acosta’s story in this article I’ve written. You can find out how much the couple won, where they are today and what they did with their prize money.

Marvin and Mae Acosta – Life Before the Win

Before their big lottery win, Marvin and Mae Acosta stayed in California. After their big win, the Acosta’s asked the public to respect their privacy. They declined interviews and asked that news reporters refrain from taking their pictures. As a result, there isn’t much to report on Marvin and Mae Acosta’s life before they won the lottery.

The couple was fairly young – Marvin (39) and Mae (40) and they have two children. Marvin and Mae were extremely private people and that’s why journalists struggled to get information about the couple from neighbors or people that lived close by.

How Much Money Did Marvin and Mae Acosta Win?

The US Powerball’s total rollover amount was $1.6 billion and was shared among three couples. If Marvin and Mae chose the annuity option they would have received $533 million. However, Marvin and Mae Acosta decided to take the lump sum option and were awarded  $327.8 million from the US Powerball. California doesn’t tax lottery winners but the Acosta’s still had to pay federal tax so they took home $267 million which is still a large amount of money.

Marvin and Mae Acosta Winning Numbers & Strategy

Marvin and Mae Acosta didn’t have a strategy for winning the lottery like other lottery players such as Stefan Mandel had. They simply bought a lottery ticket at a 7-Eleven in Chino Hills and left it up to luck to win the lottery. The store manager at the 7-Eleven in Chino Hills got a $1 million bonus for selling the ticket to the couple.

The Reaction of Winning the Jackpot

Marvin and Mae Acosta didn’t come forward immediately after winning the US Powerball jackpot. Instead, the couple read the Winner’s Handbook and spent six months developing a financial team and a strategy before claiming their winnings.

The couple also asked that the public and news stations respect their privacy. They declined interviews and decided not to get their pictures taken to protect their anonymity. But the Acosta’s did have this to say, “While we are very grateful for the wonderful wishes and encouragement we’ve received, it is not our intention to become public figures, and we ask for and appreciate privacy going forward.”

What Did Marvin and Mae Acosta Do with the Money?

Since the Acostas were extremely private people, there is little evidence of what they did with their winnings. However, after claiming their prize the couple stated that they gave money to trusts and charities that were important to them.

According to other news reports, there was a couple of the same name that bought a 5 bedroom house for $475,000 in Eastvale which is only 5 miles away from the Chino Hills 7-Eleven where the couple bought their winning ticket.

Where are Marvin and Mae Acosta now?

After Marvin and Mae Acosta won their big jackpot prize the couple quickly moved out of the home they were staying in. Neighbors reported seeing moving trucks arrive and before they knew it the couple had moved out. This could be because the couple didn’t want anyone to know where they lived or what they were doing. Marvin and Mae Acosta disappeared entirely from the limelight as soon as they could so there are no reports on where the couple is now.

Marvin and Mae Acosta Social Media Accounts

There are no reports of the Acosta’s having social media accounts but there are plenty of scams that developed over time from people claiming to be the couple. The scams typically come in the form of emails claiming to be Marvin and Mae Acosta. Sometimes the emails state that the couple is giving away part of their fortune or asking people to donate money to charities.

These scams are designed to get people to give out their details such as bank account numbers and Social Security Numbers to commit fraud. People are advised not to give out their details to anyone claiming to be Marvin or Mae Acosta.

What Marvin and Mae Acosta Could Have Done Better?

Marvin and Mae studied their Winner’s Handbook before claiming their prize so they could develop a team of financial advisors and lawyers. They also decided to remain anonymous by not accepting interviews or photos to be taken. What’s more, the couple chose to move to an undisclosed location to prevent people from finding their whereabouts.

This is exactly what winners should do when they’ve won a big lottery jackpot. It’s important to get a team of financial advisors and lawyers to assist them with handling large sums of money. It’s also a good idea to protect your identity. Therefore Marvin and Mae did an excellent job at handling their massive win and the limelight.

FAQ

What are Marvin and Mae Acosta’s methods?

Marvin and Mae Acosta simply bought their lottery ticket from a 7-Eleven and left it up to luck to win the US Powerball Jackpot. They didn’t have a specific strategy to win. The only strategy they had was to remain anonymous and develop a team of financial advisors to help them manage their jackpot effectively.

What happened to Marvin and Mae Acosta?

Marvin and Mae Acosta decided to stay out of the public eye. There are no reports on where they are. Although there was a couple of the same name that bought a house 5 miles away from the store they bought their ticket from in Chino Hill.

Why did Marvin and Mae take so long to claim their prize? 

Marvin and Mae Acosta decided to spend the lottery claims grace period to develop a team of financial advisors to help them manage their finances. They didn’t want to make their name public immediately because they also didn’t want unnecessary publicity.

Final Thoughts

In some states in the US, it’s compulsory to reveal the names of any jackpot winners. So Marvin and Mae didn’t have a choice when revealing their names. However, the couple made smart decisions not to come forward straight away and they asked not to do interviews or have their pictures taken to protect their identities. They also made the smart choice of reading the Winner’s Handbook so they could manage their large jackpot win effectively.

There are no reports on where Marvin and Mae Acosta are today. I only hope that they are living a peaceful life and that they’re managing their finances well. If you ever become a jackpot winner I’d advise you to take inspiration from Marvin and Mae Acosta’s method when claiming your prize. When you have a large sum of money you want as little attention as possible.