Forgotten Lottery Ticket Hidden in Closet Makes Man a Millionaire Overnight

The man had purchased a Pick-6 lottery ticket in May 2025 from a gas station he regularly visited. But after buying it, the ticket somehow disappeared, and he completely forgot about it for almost a year.

Things took a dramatic turn last month when lottery officials announced that a jackpot-winning ticket worth $5.9 million (around Rs 57.11 crore) was still unclaimed and close to expiring. The news immediately grabbed the man’s attention because the winning ticket had been sold at the same gas station he often stopped by.

Wanting to make sure he wasn’t missing out on something huge, he returned to the station and spoke with employees. According to reports, workers told him only a few regular customers usually played the Pick-6 game and encouraged him to carefully search through his belongings.

That kicked off a full house hunt.

• He checked drawers and shelves
• Looked through storage boxes
• Dug through old clothes in his closet

Then came the incredible moment.

Hidden inside the pocket of an old pair of pants was a crumpled lottery ticket — the missing jackpot winner.

After matching the numbers, the man realized he was holding the winning ticket worth millions. He quickly headed to lottery headquarters and successfully claimed the prize just eight days before the expiration deadline.

Lottery officials later reminded players to regularly double-check old tickets because many prizes go unclaimed simply because people forget where they stored them.