Lottery player saw someone ‘won the big prize’ — but he didn’t realize it was him

A Michigan man “won the big prize” during a Lucky For Life drawing earlier this year — but he had no idea for weeks.

“I saw the winning ticket was bought in Charlotte, and meant to check my ticket,” Shea Nowlan, of Charlotte, told Michigan Lottery officials. “I ended up forgetting to check and then several weeks later saw the prize wasn’t claimed and that’s when I remembered to check my ticket.”

When he finally did check his ticket, he realized he had won $25,000 a year for life, according to a July 13 news release from the Michigan Lottery.

The Eaton County man had matched the five white balls during the Jan. 20 drawing, officials said. He bought his winning ticket at ABC Liquor in Charlotte, about 20 miles southwest of Lansing.

Nowlan was given two options when claiming his winnings: $25,000 a year for 20 years or life, whichever is greater, or a one-time payment of $390,000, according to the release.

He chose the lump-sum payment, officials said, and plans to save his prize money.

This story was originally published July 13, 2023 at 8:58 AM with the headline "Lottery player saw someone ‘won the big prize’ — but he didn’t realize it was him."