Indian American-owned Convenience Store in California Sells Mega Millions $1.22 Billion Jackpot Ticket

The news comes as a relief to Jaspal Singh and his family who has been rebuilding their business after a devastating fire three years ago.

Indian American owners of a convenience store at a gas station in California’s Shasta County ended the past year on a good note. Their store Circle K (Sunshine Food and Gas) in Cottonwood, sold the $1.22 billion jackpot win — described by the New York Post as “the fifth-largest Mega Millions ticket in history” — on Dec. 27. Owners Jaspal Singh and his son Ishar Gill told KRCR, an ABC-affiliated television station in Redding, that they were informed of the store’s” luck just over an hour after the drawing,” and that they are “thrilled.”

The news comes as a relief to the family, who has been rebuilding their business after a devastating fire three years ago. The gas station was destroyed in August 2021, and reopened in March 2023. “The road to recovery was “long and difficult,” but we were determined to come back stronger,” the family wrote on the store’s Facebook page.

Ishar Gill, the store’s director of operations, told KRCR that they initially couldn’t believe the news. “I had to read it two, three times,” Gill told the TV station. “I told my wife, and then we ran over to my dad’s room and told him, and he’s like, ‘Are you guys sure?… Did we really win?’”

Gill told the Northstate’s News they don’t know yet how much money the store will get from the win, but he said it’s “capped at $1 million.” It’s a mystery when the ticket was sold, he told the outlet, adding that the winner’s identity is unknown as yet, as they have not yet come forward.

The Circle K owners told KRCR that they aren’t going anywhere and will be giving some of the money back to their Cottonwood community, saying they’re” excited to see the national win help put Cottonwood on the map.”