4 months late but US$20m richer
Source: Agencies |
April 14, 2010, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
A COUPLE who won Israel's biggest-ever lottery prize came forward to claim the 74 million NIS (US$20 million) payout yesterday, saying they had no idea they had been holding the lucky ticket for nearly four months.
The couple appeared at a news conference wearing masks to protect their identities, and told reporters the winning ticket had been languishing near the bottom of a pile of papers and old lottery forms at their home.
They noticed the ticket this week and checked the numbers, discovering it was a winner.
"This win is thanks to my wife who pushed me to go check the tickets because otherwise I wouldn't have found it," the man said.
After determining they had a winning ticket, the couple made a late-night visit to a store shortly before closing to see how large the prize would be. The husband said a silence fell over the room as they began counting the number of zeros in the winning payout with the clerk.
"How much did we win, for God's sake?" he said he recalled thinking. "Everyone there was pretty shocked."
Israel often conceals the identities of lottery winners to protect their privacy.
The two said they have no idea what to do with their newfound fortune, hinting that some of it may go to charity.
The US$20 million prize is subject to a 25 percent tax in Israel, the lottery agency said.
The couple appeared at a news conference wearing masks to protect their identities, and told reporters the winning ticket had been languishing near the bottom of a pile of papers and old lottery forms at their home.
They noticed the ticket this week and checked the numbers, discovering it was a winner.
"This win is thanks to my wife who pushed me to go check the tickets because otherwise I wouldn't have found it," the man said.
After determining they had a winning ticket, the couple made a late-night visit to a store shortly before closing to see how large the prize would be. The husband said a silence fell over the room as they began counting the number of zeros in the winning payout with the clerk.
"How much did we win, for God's sake?" he said he recalled thinking. "Everyone there was pretty shocked."
Israel often conceals the identities of lottery winners to protect their privacy.
The two said they have no idea what to do with their newfound fortune, hinting that some of it may go to charity.
The US$20 million prize is subject to a 25 percent tax in Israel, the lottery agency said.
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