Man Discovers £13 Million Lottery Win in Forgotten Jacket Pocket

A man from the Frankfurt area of Germany has become a millionaire after discovering a forgotten lottery ticket in his jacket pocket, winning an astonishing €15,336,286.40 (approximately £13.3 million). The ticket had lain undisturbed for six months, as the father remained unaware of his substantial win throughout the spring and summer months.

In an unexpected turn of events, the man retrieved his jacket as temperatures began to drop. He had not worn the coat since March when he found the ticket tucked away in the inside pocket. Upon checking the numbers, he was left “shocked” to learn he was the lucky winner.

“It wasn’t until the weekend that I found the ticket again, folded up in the inside pocket of my jacket,” he recounted. “When I checked the numbers on my phone and saw the winning amount, I was completely shocked – luckily I was sitting down, otherwise my knees would have given way.”

The father had heard about a campaign launched by Lotto Hessen aimed at locating the unclaimed ticket’s owner after it had remained outstanding for two months. He admitted he had thought at the time, “How stupid can you be not to collect it?” Yet, he never considered that he might be the person they were seeking.

As for how he plans to use his newfound wealth, the father stated his first purchase will be a new living room sofa. He and his wife intend to use the remaining funds to support their children. The couple has decided to keep their win a secret from others.

Lotto spokesman Martin Blach remarked, “Out of sight, out of mind – unbelievable, but that’s probably how it must have been.”

The story evokes memories of another couple, David and Susan Nelson from the UK, who also became lottery millionaires after forgetting to check their ticket for three weeks in 2013. They discovered their winning £1 million ticket after reading an appeal for a missing EuroMillions Millionaire Raffle winner. David, 77, recalled, “I had just put it away safe for a few weeks, I’d forgotten to check it at the time.”

When David finally checked, he found they were the winners. He excitedly woke Susan to share the life-changing news, and neither of them could sleep that night until they confirmed its validity.

This latest discovery highlights the importance of regularly checking lottery tickets, as millions can go unclaimed for extended periods.