He Had a Wallet Full of Wealth —Literally!
Imagine carrying around enough money to pay off your mortgage, buy a new house, and retire comfortably—all tucked into your back pocket while you dig through loose cushions looking for spare change. That’s the reality for one Michigan man who carried a $1,000,000 winning Powerball ticket in his wallet for two whole months without having a single clue.
Michael Vander Lugt of Wyoming, Michigan, bought a Michigan Powerball ticket for the massive August 8 drawing. Like millions of players, he tossed the slip into his billfold and completely forgot it existed. Fast forward two months: Vander Lugt walked into a store to buy a drink, opened his wallet, and realized he was short on cash.
Instead of walking out empty-handed, he pulled out a stack of old lottery tickets he had been hoarding, assuming he might have a few bucks in small wins to cover his beverage.
The Counter Turn-Away When the clerk scanned the pile, one ticket triggered a special message. The clerk handed it back, telling Vander Lugt the prize was too big for the register and that he’d have to head straight to the state lottery office to collect.
Intrigued, Vander Lugt walked out to his car and pulled up the August 8 winning numbers on his phone: 5, 9, 35, 54, and 63.
He had matched all five white balls.
While he narrowly missed the red Powerball (and the gargantuan $864 million jackpot attached to it), his ticket was still a Match 5 winner worth a cool $1,000,000!
“I Started Freaking Out!” “I recognized the numbers as soon as I saw them and started freaking out!” Vander Lugt told Michigan Lottery officials. “I can’t believe I had this ticket in my wallet for nearly two months not knowing it was worth $1 million.”
The million-dollar slip was originally purchased at the Big Top Market on Clyde Park Avenue in Wyoming. Vander Lugt says his forgotten fortune is going straight toward paying off his home mortgage, with the rest set aside for investments.
Talk about a lucky break—next time you’re digging through your wallet for coffee money, it might be worth double-checking those old slips before you toss them aside!
The Mystic Gambler
