Man Finds Forgotten Lotto Ticket In Pocket, Then Sees Expiration Date & Freaks Out.

If he’d waited much longer, this 68-year-old retired security officer would have unwittingly forfeited a veritable fortune. But as luck would have it, Jimmie Smith of East Orange, New Jersey, happened to be watching the evening news on May 23, when New York lottery officials made a last-ditch effort to find the person who purchased a winning ticket the previous year.

“I just hope they didn’t lose the ticket. I think it is probably lost,”the owner of the bodega where the winning ticket was purchased said back in May, just before the ticket would’ve expired. “It could even be a tourist. Sometimes tourists come in and buy lottery tickets. They go home. They forget.â€


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And that’s apparently exactly what had happened.

But that news segment jogged Jimmie’s memory: He remembered purchasing a ticket at the Renu Corp Grocery & Tobacco, a bodega in New York City, right around that time. So he got up and searched through the pocket of an old shirt that served as a repository of scraps of paper, receipts, and at least just this once, a winning ticket worth a whopping $24.1 million.


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05-12-13-22-25-35. Bingo.

“I stood there for a minute thinking, ‘Do I see what I think I see?’”he told members of the gaming commission. “I had to stick my head out the window and breathe in some fresh air. I was in serious doubt. I really had to convince myself this was real.â€


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That life-changing news segment aired just two days before he would’ve been ineligible to collect the funds.

Unlike most lottery winners, the father of two and grandfather of 12 decided to receive his winnings over a 26-year period rather than all at once.


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This is one lucky man, and we’re all sending him the best of wishes for a bright future. Share to spread the good news!

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