68-year-old becomes millionaire with lottery win — and all he wants is a new vacuum

A 68-year-old became an instant millionaire in Colorado and he just wanted one thing with his new found wealth – a new vacuum, lottery officials said.

The Carbondale resident and weekly lottery player of 10 years bought a $2 ticket for the June 10 drawing, according to a June 16 news release from the Colorado Lottery. The man was “beyond belief” when he realized he’d scored big with a grand prize of $3,896,039.

The Colorado Lotto plus jackpot player was a trauma nurse in New York for 30 years before moving to Colorado and eventually retiring last year, officials said.

The man chose the cash option of $1,948,019 and “says he has no huge plans for his windfall,” the release said.

That is, besides a possible train trip and a new vacuum, according to the release.

The man, who described himself as “an old hippie” when he learned to ski in Colorado in 1972, enjoys horseback riding and paragliding but had given up the hobbies due to their costs, officials said. He plans to use the money “to get back to those things he loves most,” according to the release.

The lucky man also plans to use his earnings to buy 100 gift cards for people at his local grocery store “because they are nice to him,” the release said.

Carbondale is about 170 miles southwest of Denver.

This story was originally published June 20, 2023 at 4:37 PM with the headline "68-year-old becomes millionaire with lottery win — and all he wants is a new vacuum."