The best-supported match for the $15.3 million lotto winner is George Swirin, a 66-year-old Bakersfield retiree. A Los Angeles Times report published April 19, 1988, says he matched all six main numbers in a California lotto drawing the previous Saturday. The exact headline’s provenance and an official California Lottery record confirming the win have not been established, so the details below are what the contemporary newspaper reported.
Who won the $15.3 million prize?
The Los Angeles Times identified the winner as George Swirin, a retiree from Bakersfield. Its April 19, 1988, report described him as 66 years old and said he had selected all six main numbers in California’s computerized lotto game. The report is the closest supported match for the headline “Lotto player scores whopping $15.3 million prize”; it does not confirm that this was the headline’s original source.
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What numbers did the report say he matched?
The newspaper listed Swirin’s six main numbers as 41, 35, 40, 48, 6 and 13. It separately gave 36 as the bonus number. The report’s account of the prize distinguishes the six-number jackpot match from a second-place result involving five main numbers plus the bonus.
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Why did the jackpot change from $14.9 million to $15.3 million?
Lottery officials initially gave the grand prize as $14.9 million, according to the newspaper. Lottery spokesman Bob Taylor said the final figure was $15.3 million because the annuity purchased for the winner was worth more than anticipated. In other words, the article attributes the difference to the value obtained by buying the annuity, not to a second drawing or a separate win.
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How was the prize to be paid?
The report said Swirin would receive $615,200 annually for 20 years after the stated federal tax deduction. It does not provide enough detail to recalculate that figure or establish how it would compare with a cash option under other terms. Taylor’s explanation, as printed by the Times, was that an annuity could secure more money for winners than taking cash from the jackpot pool.
What else did the 1988 article report?
It said three other players matched five main numbers plus the bonus number and split a $1.6 million second-place prize. It also called Swirin’s jackpot the fifth largest in the lottery’s history at the time. Those are historical claims in the newspaper account, not independently confirmed here against a California Lottery archive.
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How certain are the details?
The identification and figures come from a contemporary Los Angeles Times article, “Bakersfield Man Wins $15.3 Million,” dated April 19, 1988. The report attributes the jackpot explanation to lottery officials, but an official California Lottery historical record confirming the winner, numbers or annuity calculation has not been located. Accordingly, the account is best read as what the newspaper reported rather than as a currently verified lottery record.
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