Lottery winner wins $15.4 million prize as “best birthday present ever,” but immediately loses $4 million due to little-known rule

An ordinary birthday gift quickly turned into a multi-million dollar fortune.

The lucky player, however, didn’t get to keep all the money from his big $15.4 million win.

A player from Bedford, Massachusetts – about 20 miles from Boston – received a Lifetime Millions scratch-off lottery ticket for his birthday.

They were shocked to discover that their birthday gift was highly valuable.

The winner won the lifetime grand prize of $1 million per year on the $50 scratch-off ticket.

The prize was worth an impressive $15.4 million.

The player claimed his one-time payment on July 10 through Boston’s Merjon Tangovan Nominee Trust, represented by trustee Greg Racki.

Racki’s client was ecstatic with the prize, claiming the ticket was “the best birthday present ever.”

The winner, however, did not take home the entire announced prize.

For prizes over $5,000 in Massachusetts, about 5% is withheld for state taxes and 24% for federal taxes.

In this case, the player lost around $4,481,400 in taxes.

The $15.4 million prize quickly dropped to about $10.9 million.

The winner intends to use the money to buy a new car, travel and help their family financially.

Ticket was purchased at Northside Market & Liquors at 44 North Road in Bedford.

The store will receive a bonus of US$50,000 for selling the ticket.

LUCKY TICKET

The player won the first of three big prizes in the Lifetime Millions scratch card.

They overcame the low one-in-8,400,000 odds of earning $1 million a year for life.

Top US Lottery Winners

Millions dream of winning the lottery and finding fame and fortune. These are the biggest winners in US lottery history.

• Edwin Castro – $2.04 billion, Powerball, November 8, 2022, in California.
• Theodorus Struyck – $1.765 billion, Powerball, October 11, 2023, California.
• Unknown Winner – $1.602 Billion, Mega Millions, August 8, 2023, Florida.
• Marvin and Mae Acosta of Los Angeles, California, John and Lisa Robinson of Munford, Tennessee, and Maureen Smith and David Kaltschmidt of Melbourne Beach, Florida – $1.586 billion, Powerball, January 13, 2016.
• Unknown Winner – $1.537 Billion, Mega Millions, October 23, 2018, from South Carolina.
• Winner unknown – he sued his child’s mother to keep his identity hidden – $1.348 billion, Mega Millions, January 13, 2023, from Maine.
• Unknown Winner – $1.337 Billion, Mega Millions, July 29, 2022, from Illinois.
• Cheng and Duanpen Saephan and Laiza Liem Chao – $1.326 billion, Powerball, April 7, 2024, from Oregon.
• Yanira Álvarez – $1.08 billion Powerball, July 19, 2023 in California.
• Wolverine FLL Lottery Club – $1.05 Billion, Mega Millions, January 22, 2021, from Michigan.
• Winner unknown – $842.4 million Powerball, January 1, 2024, from Michigan.

To win an in-game cash prize of $50, players must simply match their numbers to the winning numbers.

The overall odds of winning any prize are one in 4.10.

The game was released in February and is the second $50 Massachusetts State Lottery game.

Other lottery players have been lucky enough to win million-dollar prizes.

A lottery player won the top prize of $3 million on a $10 scratch-off ticket.

Another player won $5 million on a lottery scratch-off but immediately lost $2 million.