Man Claims Big Lottery Prize After House Cleaner Finds His Lost Winning Ticket

Close up view of green lottery scratch cards and US dollar bills.

One Massachusetts man is now $1 million richer, and it's all thanks to his house cleaner.

Khalil Soussa of Medford, Mass., recently found himself as a winner of the $1 million prize in the Massachusetts State Lottery’s 15,000,000 Money Maker instant ticket game—but he almost missed his chance to cash in on the giant prize.

Soussa, who actually purchased the lottery ticket a few months ago, didn't claim his prize until earlier this month, after his house cleaner stumbled upon a missing ticket he had long forgotten.

Soussa's house cleaner found the ticket in a vase while cleaning his home. It wasn't until he was presented with the missing ticket when Soussa realized he actually had a big winner on his hands.

According to the Massachusetts Lottery website, Soussa chose the cash option on his prize and received a one-time payment of $650,000 (before taxes).

The store where he purchased the ticket, Tony's Convenience store in Medford, will receive a $10,000 bonus for its sale of the ticket.

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Soussa reportedly plans to use some of his winnings to help a friend and to donate some to charity—and hopefully the house cleaner who found the ticket will be getting a cut, too!

The news comes on the heels of the record-setting $1.76 billion Powerball jackpot, which went nearly three months without a winner matching all six numbers.

It wasn't until Oct. 11 when a winner finally emerged, making it the second-largest payout in the game's history. In November 2022, one individual purchased a winning ticket that ended up being worth a whopping $2.04 billion.

Next: Here's What Happens if No One Claims the Mega Millions Jackpot