Mistake Leads to $10 Million Lottery Jackpot: 'I Hit the Big One,' Says NY Man
A mistake led to a $10 million jackpot for one lucky man last month in Lancaster, New York last month. 53-year-old Jerry Kajfasz of Poland was accidentally handed an eighth $20 lottery scratch-off ticket after purchasing seven at a convenience store, and that last ticket won him a fortune.
The mistake that led to the $10 million jackpot was when the Depew One Stop store clerk in suburban Buffalo, N.Y. sold Kajfasz seven tickets, but accidentally handed him an eighth one as well. Kajfasz initially rejected the ticket, but after leaving and winning $25 from the tickets, he changed his mind.
"I kept winning on the scratch-off tickets. I won like seven in a row," he said during a news conference Tuesday. "I just got lucky, until I hit the big one."
Get Our Latest News for FREE
The "big one" was the eighth ticket, which read that he won $10 million. Kajfasz couldn't believe his eyes and asked the clerk to verify.
"I just sat there and couldn't believe it," the printing worker said. "Shocked. I probably looked over the ticket half a dozen times."
After calling his wife Anne and his adult children Jackie and Frank, Jerry Kajfasz was able to hammer out all the details. He decided that the $500,000 he will get annually will be divided into $450,000 a year for him and his wife and $25,000 a year for the children.
Jerry Kajfasz has already quit his job and plans to head back to Poland for a vacation.
"The trip was in the works, but this will make it happen a lot sooner than we planned," Kajfasz said.
