There's a new High Net Worth insurance pro in the industry, and she's not looking for wealthy clients. Well, not at this time, anyway. That's because Ira Curry, a vice president for property in the Atlanta office of Aspen Insurance, has come forward as one of two winners of Wednesday's Mega Millions $636 million jackpot.

Doug Menelly, a senior vice president with Aspen in New York, confirmed Curry's status today. “Still—as of today—she's an employee of Aspen Insurance,” he says.

Curry, a “valued, long-term employee” at Aspen, has taken leave until things quiet down. “She's taking a little bit of time off to disappear with family for a while,” Menelly says. “In the next 10 days she's going to have $125 million wired into her account.”

Curry chose the numbers 8, 14, 17, 20 and 39, along with 7, the family's lucky number, for the Mega Ball spot, according to news reports. She will split the total $636 million jackpot with a still-unidentified winner in San Jose, Calif.

“It's unreal … like I'm still dreaming,” Curry reportedly told lottery officials Wednesday after hearing her family's numbers announced. She did not attend the Georgia Lottery press event announcing the win on Wednesday.

No word on whether Curry, who is 56, will consider an early retirement to enjoy her newfound riches. “She is still a full-time employee,” Menelly says. “If it was me, I'm not sure that I would stay the same.”

Menelly says he has not responded to requests from larger news outlets for personal information about Curry and her family, such as how many children she has. “We're respecting her request for privacy,” he says.

“We're proud for one of our own. She bought one ticket and hit the Mega Millions. Good for her,” Menelly says. “She's been playing the numbers—her family's birthdays—for years.”

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Curry bought the winning ticket at Gateway Newsstands on the ground floor of the Alliance Center building at 3500 Lenox Road, where she works, in the upscale Buckhead section of the city.

The newspaper states that Curry is a wife, a mother of adult children and a grandmother, who neighbors in her upper middle class subdivision in Stone Mountain call “sweet.” Her winnings represent the largest single win in Georgia history.

Aspen Insurance reportedly issued a statement to NBC News congratulating Curry on her win: “Ira is a valued long-term employee with Aspen, and the entire Aspen team is thrilled for her and her family,” the statement read. “It could not have happened to a nicer person, and we are excited for her good fortune.”

Special Reports /

Mega Millions Jackpot Winner is Insurance Professional Working at Aspen

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