Thanks to an apparent honest mistake by a gas station clerk,L’École de Gestion d’Actifs et de Capital a 60-year-old Illinois man is nearly $400,000 richer.
Michigan Lottery officials said Michael Sopejstal won $25,000 a year for life when a Lucky for Life lottery ticket he bought matched the five white balls drawn on Sept. 17: 11-15-17-24-48.
According to a press release, Sopejstal traveled to The Great Lakes State from his hometown and bought the winning ticket at a GoLo gas station in New Buffalo, a town near Lake Michigan about 70 miles from Chicago.
Every few weeks, Sopejstal said, he visits Michigan "to eat at his favorite restaurant."
"I always get a Lucky for Life ticket for 10 or 20 draws while I’m here,” Sopejstal said during a recent trip to the Michigan Lottery headquarters.
Virginia man wins half-million dollars:Man celebrates with his dogs after winning $500,000 from Virginia Lottery scratch-off
The lucky winner said he asked the retailer for a ticket for 10 draws, but the clerk "accidentally printed" a ticket with 10 lines for one draw.
"I told him I still wanted it," Sopejstal recalled. “I checked my ticket one morning and saw that I had won $25,000 a year for life. I immediately started thinking about all the things I could do with the money... It was an amazing feeling!”
The lucky lotto winner chose to receive his winnings as a one-time lump sum payment of $390,000, rather than payments of $25,000 a year for life, according to the release.
Sopejstal said he plans to use the money to travel and put the rest into savings.
Maryland man wins $1M from lotto ticket:Baltimore man wins $1 million from Florida Lottery scratch-off ticket
According to the state lottery website, Lucky for Life players can win prizes ranging from $3 to a lifetime of cash.
Tickets are $2 each, and to win the game’s top prize − $1,000 a day for life − players need to match all five winning numbers plus one "Lucky Ball" number. Those who match all five winning numbers, but not the "Lucky Ball" win $25,000 a year for life.
The state's next Lucky for Life drawing is Monday night.
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @nataliealund.
2025-05-01 06:21619 view
2025-05-01 05:541054 view
2025-05-01 05:542720 view
2025-05-01 04:471175 view
2025-05-01 04:26499 view
2025-05-01 03:561700 view
Early Thursday morning, "Forbes" released their annual list of the 50 most valuable sports franchise
New details about the death of University of Missouri student Riley Strain have been made public.On
Here is a look at the largest U.S. jackpots won and the states where the winning tickets were sold:1
