A man from Michigan told the lottery he kept his winnings a secret from his kids. He then shared what he plans to do with the money.
According to a report by Michigan Lottery Connect, Kenneth Stayt from Fenton won $25,000 every year for life on the ‘Lucky for Life’ lottery. His ticket matched the five white balls during the July 19 draw. The outlet explains Stayt purchased his ticket from Sagebrush Cantina at 14284 North Fenton Road.
Stayt explained that he frequents the cantina and usually plays Club Keno. However, he decided to purchase a ‘Lucky for Life’ ticket instead. “I went to MichiganLottery.com to check the winning numbers around midnight and was amazed when I saw my ticket matched all five of the white balls,” he said. “This is a life-changing amount of money that will allow me to live easy and not have to worry about things,” he added.
Stayt also revealed that he hadn’t told his kids about the money, but doesn’t plan to keep it a secret for long. “Now that I have my check, I plan to surprise them with the money!” he explained.
The Lottery Winner Chose To Take His Winnings As A Lump Sum
Like many Lottery jackpots, Stayt had to choose between taking his winnings in one go or spreading them across multiple payments. The Michigan Lottery notes that Stayt took a lump sum payment of $390,000. The alternative was $25,000 per year for 20 years, or life; whichever is greater.
The jackpot winner told the outlet he plans to share the cash with family and friends. He said he would invest whatever is left.
Stayt promptly collected his winnings after hitting the jackpot, but did you ever wonder what happens if a prize isn’t claimed? Last month, CaLottery reported that they were still waiting for someone to claim a jackpot of $1,391,550. The issue was that the winnings had an expiry date of 180 days. Someone bought the ticket on December 18, 2024.
Time was running out, and the Lottery clarified that the unclaimed jackpot would go toward funding local schools.