A 70-year-old Michigan man has kept his life-changing lottery win a secret from his children, planning to surprise them with the money. Kenneth Stayt won $25,000 a year for life in the Lucky For Life game, but chose to receive a lump sum of $390,000.
Stayt purchased the ticket at Sagebrush Cantina in Fenton, northwest of Detroit, on July 19. He checked the winning numbers at midnight and was amazed to see his ticket matched all five white balls. “I’ve been keeping my big win a secret from my kids, and now that I have my check, I plan to surprise them with the money!” he told Michigan Lottery Connect.
The Lucky For Life game costs $3 per play. To win the top prize of $1,000 a day for life, players must match all five numbers (1-48) and one Lucky Ball (1-18). Matching all five white balls without the Lucky Ball wins $25,000 a year for life. Stayt opted for the lump sum, saying, “This is a life-changing amount of money that will allow me to live easy and not have to worry about things.”
In a separate win, North Carolina resident William Evans won $273,520 playing the digital game Multiplier Mania. He spent just $1 and claimed the gold jackpot, taking home $196,251 after taxes. “Something just told me to play that one,” Evans said. The odds of winning the top prize were one in 40 million.
