An Illinois man won $25,000 per year for the rest of his life after an Illinois gas station clerk made a mistake.
The Michigan Lottery reported that Michael Sopejstal is 60 years old and while visiting New Buffalo in Michigan, he purchased the Lucky for Life winning ticket.
“I visit Michigan to eat in my favorite restaurant every few weeks and I get a Lucky for Life ticket for 10 or 20 drawings while I am here,” Sopejstal told lottery officials.
However, the clerk at GoLo’s gas station printed a mistaken ticket that had only one draw.
The lotto winner stated, “I asked the cashier for a ticket for 10 draws, but the retailer accidentally printed one with 10 lines. I told him that I still wanted the ticket.”
Sopejstal correctly matched five of the white balls that were drawn during the draw on September 17: 11-15-17-2448.
Sopejstal said, “I checked my winning ticket and found out that I would receive $25,000 per year for the rest of my life.” “I started thinking of all the things I would do with this money, and if I should take annuity or lump-sum. It was a wonderful feeling!”
Sopejstal chose to accept his winnings in a lump-sum payment of $390,000. He did not want to receive an annuity.
Sopejstal could have received $25,000.00 a year, for the next 20 years, or until the end of his life.
The lucky winner plans to save some money and use the rest to travel.
