Man buys lottery ticket with leftover change and hits jackpot. ‘Eyes about popped out’
A Michigan man was stunned when he saw how much he won on a lottery ticket he bought with leftover change.
James Daniel, 69, hit Michigan Lottery’s Lucky For Life jackpot in Westland after he matched all five numbers, according to a news release from the Michigan Lottery.
“I had some change leftover after buying some groceries, so I decided to buy some Lucky For Life tickets,” Daniel told lottery officials. “I checked my numbers that night, and my eyes about popped out of my head when I got to the third line and (it said) I had matched five numbers.”
Daniel said he needed confirmation he actually won the $25,000 a year for life jackpot.
“I asked my wife and son to look at my ticket to be sure I was seeing it right. This is the largest prize I have ever won, and it is just unbelievable,” he said.
Daniel chose to receive a one-time lump sum payment of $390,000 instead of the yearly payments of $25,000 a year for 20 years or life.
He said he plans to invest his winnings.
Westland is about a 30-mile drive west from Detroit.
This story was originally published February 10, 2025 at 1:31 PM with the headline "Man buys lottery ticket with leftover change and hits jackpot. ‘Eyes about popped out’."
