Lottery winner wins $2 million by 'copying' shopper ahead of her — then her $700,000 disappeared

Sometimes a single decision is enough to change one's life completely, and while people are told to decide for themselves, copying others might also pay off at times. An Oakland County woman won a $2 million prize after looking at another shopper ahead of her buy a lottery ticket and deciding to just "go for it" herself. The lucky 64-year-old winner, who chose to remain anonymous, eventually hit the lucky numbers in the Michigan Lottery's Strike It Rich instant game! However, she lost hundreds of thousands of dollars with one drastic move.

A Copycat Win

The winner told the lottery officials that she was waiting at the check-out counter of the gas station when she saw a person buy several Strike It Rich tickets in front of her. "So, I decided to go for it and buy one too,” she admitted.

After collecting the items, she walked back to her car, feeling lucky. “I scratched the ticket off when I got in my car, and immediately locked the doors and signed the ticket when I saw I’d won $2 million," she said. She added that it took a while for the feeling to sink in. The Lottery Commissioner, Suzanna Shkreli asserted that the story of the woman's win is "proof" that nobody can ever know when lady luck strikes. The winner told the lottery that the money would make a "big difference" for her and her family and their lives were going to change. “It’s great to know that this $2 million prize will have a positive impact on the winner and her family," Shkreli said in the press release.

The player who collected the prize from the headquarters chose to receive her prize as a one-time lump sum payment. This cost her $700,000, as she bagged only about $1.3 million out of the total amount after taxes. Despite the loss, the winner said the winnings would go a long way. She said she plans to pay for her car, complete some home improvements, and donate a part of the money to charities.

Big Michigan Wins and Hefty Taxes

Earlier this year, three lottery players from Michigan, who identified as the "The Breakfast Club"  won one of the largest lottery jackpots in U.S. history. The trio won the Michigan Lottery's $842.4 million Powerball jackpot, marking the fifth-largest Powerball jackpot and the tenth-largest lottery jackpot in the country's history. The announcement came about six months after the winning ticket was bought. 

The lottery commissioner stated that the winners elected to take their winnings as a lump-sum payment, which also cost them a lot of money. As per The Sun US,  the winnings were subject to a federal government tax rate of 24% and state taxes as well. Thus, in the end, The Breakfast Club took home only about $305 million in winnings after taxes, as per ABC News. 

On the other hand, opting for annuity payments, in which the winnings are paid in staggered annual payments, can help winners take home more cash without paying heavy taxes. It allows winners to receive a check that gradually grows every year, and keep all their winnings.