$4 Million Instant Win Ticket Defies Macomb County Man’s Belief

Many things defy belief in life. For one Macomb County, Michigan man, playing a Michigan Lottery $150 Million Cash Explosion scratcher produced that feeling.

The lucky player claimed the game’s top prize of $4 million pre-tax. His reaction to initially uncovering the win is pretty typical of those who find such good fortune.

A rare Cash Explosion scratcher win

With the 76-year-old player’s win, only one of the game’s top prizes remains. Originally, the Michigan Lottery game offered four $4 million prizes. For this most recent winner, it’s surreal.

“I usually only play the $5 and $10 games, but I’ve been winning quite a bit lately, so I decided to purchase a $30 ticket,” the anonymous winner said via a lottery news release. “I scratched the ticket right before bed and matched number 29. I thought maybe I’d won a few hundred dollars, but then scratched the $4 million amount underneath. I said: ‘Wait a minute. This can’t be.’ I knew what I was seeing, but I didn’t believe it was real.

“When I woke up in the morning, I thought I’d dreamt it all, but then I saw the ticket on my nightstand and knew it had actually happened,” stated the player, who bought the ticket at Manny’s Liquor in Rochester on May 19.

Upon visiting a MI Lottery claim center, the man chose to take the lump sum payment. That came out to about $2.5 million after taxes. He plans to spread the love.

“I really enjoy helping people, so all I can think about is how many people I’ll be able to help with this money. It is such a surreal feeling,” he said.

More Michiganders should have similar stories to share in the coming weeks. MI Lottery players just keep hitting it big.

Several more seven-figure prizes yet to be claimed

Since this man won his prize, there have been four more seven-figure prizes attached to MI Lottery tickets sold. Three of them were instant wins. Those are:

• $4 million Worth Millions ticket sold at the AGO #35 in Rockford on May 24
• $1 million $1,000,000 Frenzy Multiplier card purchased at the Marion Springs General Store in Brant on May 26
• $1 million Mega Millions play at the Meijer in Grand Rapids on May 31
• $1 million Red Hot Millions ticket bought at Mike’s Beverage Warehouse in Taylor on June 7

If that could be you, you can use the MI Lottery app to check your ticket(s) or take them to any retailer. However, before you actually sign your winning ticket, there are some best practices.

Those include securing the ticket then contacting an attorney and a financial adviser. Those professionals can help you craft strategies to not only grow your money but also avoid taxes and protect your identity.

You’ll be in a much better position to help yourself and others if you play it smart. For this Macomb County man, trying his luck again while he was on a hot streak looks to have been a smart move as well.