Lottery ticket worth millions sat in Michigan man’s truck for months. ‘It’s a miracle’

A man from Michigan unknowingly stashed away a lottery ticket that has now made him a millionaire.

It only took him four months to realize.

The 29-year-old from Isabella County is now reaping the benefits of the Money scratch-off ticket he purchased long ago.

“About four months ago, I bought this Money ticket, but I didn’t see any winnings on it when I scratched it, so I threw it in my center console with some other non-winning tickets,” he told Michigan Lottery officials in a Dec. 11 news release.

Until recently, it sat in the man’s truck collecting dust. But when his wife handed him tickets to scan at the store, he brought the Money ticket with him to verify it was not a winner.

It was actually a $2 million winner — one of three jackpot prizes offered in the game.

“When I scanned the Money ticket, I got a message to file a claim at the lottery office. I went back out to my truck to look the ticket over and realized I’d matched number 13,” he told lottery officials. “When I revealed the ‘$2 MIL’ symbol underneath, I was speechless. It is a miracle this ticket didn’t end up in the trash!”

The winner, who chose to remain anonymous, accepted the one-time lump sum payment of $1.3 million. He said he isn’t planning any big purchases but does plan on investing.

Isabella County is about 80 miles northeast of Grand Rapids.

This story was originally published December 11, 2023 at 11:18 AM with the headline "Lottery ticket worth millions sat in Michigan man’s truck for months. ‘It’s a miracle’."