Husband shows wife huge Michigan lottery win — and it still takes 24 hours to sink in

A 67-year-old avid lottery player won a massive prize, but it took 24 hours for the news to sink it, Michigan officials said.

The Oakland County man was at the USA 2 Go gas station in Novi when he decided to buy a $30 instant ticket, according to a Jan. 18 news release by the Michigan Lottery. The man had no idea he’d soon win $4 million.

“I have played Lottery games for a long time, and enjoy instant games the most,” the lucky man told lottery officials. “When I scratched the ticket off and saw I had won $4 million I couldn’t believe it. I showed the ticket to my wife just to be sure I had won. After that, it still took a solid 24 hours before it really sank in that I was a millionaire.”

The man went to lottery headquarters to claim his prize and opted for the one-time sum, taking home $2.7 million, instead of regular payments that would equate to the $4 million, officials said.

“Winning this money means less stress for me and my family and gives me the chance to help my kids,” the winner told lottery officials.

The man plans to use the money to finish some home improvement projects and will invest the rest, the lottery said.

Lottery officials said more than $58 million worth of prizes are still up for grabs in the VIP Millions game, with one $4 million top prize and 76 $5,000 prizes.

Novi is about 30 miles northwest of Detroit.

This story was originally published January 18, 2024 at 2:54 PM with the headline "Husband shows wife huge Michigan lottery win — and it still takes 24 hours to sink in."