According to Telegraph UK, the man identified as Jimmie Smith had just
two days left to pick up his life-changing prize money before the
lottery’s one-year deadline passed.
Narrating the life-changing incident, the 68-year-old retired security guard explained that he was forced to look for the ticket after watching news about the much-publicised unclaimed jackpot.
“I ended up with a stack; a pile of tickets, including the one they were talking about on the news,” explained the father-of-two.
The man, who's also a grandfather, said he couldn’t believe his lottery win, adding: “I stood there for a minute thinking, ‘Do I see what I think I see?’
“I had to stick my head out the window and breathe in some fresh air. I was in serious doubt. I really had to convince myself this was real.”
Mr Smith said he took some time “to clear out some cobwebs” before going to the New York Lottery’s customer service centre to claim his prize money.
He has been playing lottery for more than 50 years, but admits he always forgets to check his tickets, which is to say he's not really a lottery person - he got lucky.
“I always told myself, ‘I’ll check them when I have the time',” he says.
So what will he spend the money on?
Mr. Smith plans to have an “all-family discussion” about what to do with his winnings.
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