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By Jeff Martin, USA TODAY
SIOUX FALLS  The nation's newest mega-millionaire was identified Friday as a rancher from a remote part of the wind-swept western South Dakota plains.
Neal Wanless, 23, who lives outside the small town of Mission, S.D., won a $232.1 million Powerball jackpot, according to a statement this afternoon from the South Dakota Lottery. He was to be introduced to the rest of the world during a Friday ceremony in Pierre, South Dakota Lottery spokesman Mike Mueller said.
It took just 23 seconds for Wanless to become $232 million richer. That's how much time it took from the instant that "05" was readable on the first white ball drawn during the May 27 Powerball drawing, to when the "07" was clearly viewable on the red Powerball.
The ticket was sold in Winner, S.D.  a town about 35 miles from Wanless' home  late last month and matched all five white balls and the Powerball with Wanless' incredibly lucky combination of 5-16-6-21-12 and the 7 Powerball. The numbers represent the day and month of family members' birthdays, state lottery officials said.
Wanless decided to take the jackpot as a one-time cash prize of $118,005,530, according to a statement from South Dakota lottery officials. After federal tax withholding, he will receive a prize payment $88,504,147, not including another $100 he won on the same ticket, the statement said.
Wanless said his family had fallen behind in their taxes and recently had a mobile home repossessed. He lives on his family's 320-acre ranch near Mission, S.D., and bought the ticket late last month during a trip to buy livestock feed.
He said his family has been helped by their community and that he "intends to repay that help many times over."
He said in a statement issued Friday that he plans to continue ranching, albeit on a larger ranch. He said he recently told his horse, Eleanor, that "It'd be nice if we go for a longer ride than usual on a bigger ranch of our own."
Martin reports for the Argus Leader in Sioux Falls, S.D.; Contributing: Associated