A 26-year-old man from Genessee County, Michigan, is half a million dollars richer after allegedly taking a “sign” from his movie star doppelganger. The man, who sought anonymity, recalled watching a movie in which the protagonist, who resembles him, wins the lottery jackpot. Intrigued by this cinematic coincidence, he decided to try his luck with his own lottery ticket.
He told the Michigan Lottery website, “I was watching a movie, and the main character won big on a lottery ticket. The main character was my lookalike, so I took it as a sign to go buy a ticket.”
Later, the man went to a food market and purchased a $5 Lucky Number 13 ticket. According to the Michigan Lottery website, the lucky 13 scratch-off games debuted in April of last year. Currently, one top prize of $500,000 remains unclaimed, as well as more than $7 million in additional game prizes.
The 26-year-old guy stated, “Later that day, I was with some friends and scratched the ticket. When I saw I’d won $500,000, I couldn’t believe my eyes!” To confirm his win before sharing the news, he went to the bathroom to cross-examine the ticket again.
The man, certain of his victory, quickly called his girlfriend to tell her the life-changing news. “I feel so blessed to win this amount of money,” he said. He said he would use the money to go on vacation and spend it on his children.
Since its inception in 1972, the Michigan Lottery has made significant contributions to the state’s educational system. According to the Michigan Lottery website, ticket revenues go straight to the Michigan School Aid Fund. In FY23, the Michigan Lottery contributed nearly $1.3 billion to the Michigan School Aid Fund.
