An Oakland County man is the latest to join the ranks of lottery winners, securing a $2 million prize with a Jackson instant ticket, lottery officials announced. Reportedly the 54-year-old winner, who has opted for anonymity, had his ticket picked out by a friend at Orchard Market Place in Farmington Hills. "Whenever my friend goes to buy lottery tickets, I always give him some money and tell him to buy me a few too," he said, as reported by clickondetroit. According to the winner, upon realizing his stroke of luck, "my jaw hit the floor and stayed there!"
The surprise win has yet to be shared with his family, with plans to soon to formally surprise them. The lucky individual remarked about the experience, "I was in total awe, and honestly, I still am! I can't begin to explain the feeling of winning this amount of money," he told CBS News Detroit. The winner has elected to take a lump sum payment of approximately $1.3 million instead of annuity payments, aiming to put the windfall towards his children's college funds and investments.
According to the Michigan Lottery, over $82 million in prizes are still available in the Jackson game, which includes two more $2 million top prizes among others. Lottery Commissioner Suzanna Shkreli emphasized the game's impact, "The Jackson instant game is part of the currency family of games, which launched in May. Each of the games has been very popular with players and is helping Lottery forge towards a sixth consecutive School Aid Fund contribution of $1 billion," Shkreli explained, as described by clickondetroit.
The winner's fortune arrives on the heels of other notable Michigan Lottery wins, including a Sanilac County man's $1 million jackpot claimed last week, and a Fantasy 5 prize pot nearing $700,000 split by another group of players in July. As the public learns about such significant victories, officials reiterate the contribution of lottery sales to educational funding in the state. "When players score jaw-dropping wins like this $2 million prize it’s an unforgettable experience,” Shkreli was quoted in a statement published by The Detroit News.
