Michigan man's lottery ticket was collecting dust for 3 months before he realized he won $4 million
(CBS DETROIT) - A Michigan man's scratch off lottery ticket was "in a drawer collecting dust" for three months before he realized he had won $4 million.
The 59-year-old Oakland County man, who decided to stay anonymous, purchased his winning Millionaire's Club at the Marathon gas station at 3235 West Walton Boulevard in Waterford.
"When I play instant games, I never scratch off the amounts, even if I win, because I like the surprise of finding out the winning amount when I take it to a store to cash it," said the player. "When I scratched my Millionaire's Club ticket, I saw I won, but per usual, I didn't scratch the amount. I put the ticket in a drawer to keep it for the next time I needed some extra cash."
The ticket stayed in that drawer for three months before he looked at it again.
"About three months later, I remembered I still had the ticket, and I took it to the store to cash it," the 59-year-old man said. "I got a message to file a claim at the Lottery office, so I finally scratched the amount. When I saw it was a $4 million winner, I was amazed. I couldn't even fathom it. It's been very hard to wrap my head around!"
The Oakland County man decided to receive his winnings at a one-time lump sum payment and plans to use the money to invest and start a new company.
Every $30 scratch off Millionaire's Club ticket gives people the chance to win prizes that range from $30 up to $4 million.