When most people buy lottery tickets, the chances of winning on the very first try are nearly close to zero. And for some, luck smiles upon them after several purchases, sometimes over years. However, luck smiled upon a Michigan man when his accidental purchase of an extra ticket helped him win a total of $2 million.
Samir Mazahem, 56, from Dearborn Heights, Michigan, won not just $1 million dollars on the ticket he initially bought, but also another million from a ticket that he accidentally purchased.
"I recently logged into the app to check on some tickets I had bought, and that is when I saw I had two $1 million prizes pending. Saying that I was stunned is an understatement. I couldn't believe it was real. It took several days for the reality to set in that my mistake had paid off to the tune of $2 million!"
A Double Whammy
Mazahem bought the two winning tickets online at MichiganLottery.com by choosing the same numbers as the drawn balls—01-05-09-10-23—in the June 9 drawing. His first ticket won him the first million. As luck would have it, Mazahem committed a happy mistake that netted him another million.
"I went online and bought a ticket using numbers that are family birthdays. I forgot to save the numbers as favorites in the app, so I went back in and set them up as favorites so I could easily play them in the future," explained Mazahem, in a statement released by Michigan Lottery.
Unrealized Mistake Helps Realize Dreams
While Mazahem saved the numbers as his preferred numbers for future drawings, he did not realize that in doing so he was purchasing another ticket with the same numbers. "Once I figured out I had bought two tickets with identical numbers, I was a little bummed but didn't think much about it," he expressed.
Dearborn Heights resident recently visited the headquarters of Michigan Lottery and claimed his winnings. He intends to buy a home with a portion of the winning and save the rest. "Winning is exciting and gives me some comfort knowing that when I retire, I will have money in the bank," proclaimed Mazahem.
