Powerball Winner • MN • 2008
Jackpot (2024$)
$260,000,000
lump sum
Age at Win
54
Construction supervisor / heavy equipment operator
May 3, 2008 was the fifth anniversary of Paul and Sue Rosenau's darkest day — the death of their granddaughter Makayla from Krabbe disease. That same night, Sue read the Powerball numbers from the TV. Paul stood at the top of the stairs holding his ticket. When she reached the final number, they knew. But the Rosenaus — a construction worker and an administrative assistant — didn't have internet at home. So they did what few winners have ever done: they put on their pajamas, got in the car, and drove to Sue's workplace in the middle of the night to verify the numbers online. When they saw it was real, they didn't celebrate. They saw it as God's mandate. "We pretty much gave everything but $10 million away," Paul said. They created the Legacy of Angels Foundation for Krabbe research. Then their financial advisor stole millions. Sue died of cancer in 2018. The advisor died by suicide in 2020.