The Birthday Envelope Worth $1 Million
An anonymous Braidwood, Illinois resident received an envelope of lottery tickets from a friend at his birthday party, and one matched all six numbers (11-17-22-26-36-45) in the August 8 Illinois Lotto Million 2 drawing, worth $1 million. He initially thought he had won only $1,000 and learned the true amount only when lottery prize-center staff corrected him. The ticket was sold at Gas N Wash in New Lenox, which earned a $10,000 selling bonus.
The party was for him, but the present was the surprise of someone else's life too. A Braidwood, Illinois resident — who has chosen to stay anonymous — was celebrating his birthday at a party his wife had planned when a friend handed him an envelope. Inside were a few scratch-off tickets, the kind of small, cheerful gift that usually ends with somebody winning enough for a cup of coffee. Tucked among them was an Illinois Lotto ticket.
That ticket had been purchased at Gas N Wash, 1951 E. Laraway Road in New Lenox. In the Saturday, August 8 Lotto Million 2 drawing, it matched all six numbers — 11-17-22-26-36-45 — good for the game's $1 million jackpot. It even picked up an extra $2 for matching two numbers on another line. The Illinois Lottery announced the win on September 4.
“My wife planned a party for my big day,” the winner said. “One of my friends handed me an envelope with some scratch-offs inside. I never would've imagined actually winning.”
He came close to never knowing. At first glance he didn't think he'd won anything; he had a friend check the ticket, and the friend — misreading it the same way — told him he'd won a thousand dollars. A thousand dollars! He was delighted. “I thought, 'Wow, a thousand bucks isn't bad, this was a great day.' But I was not prepared for what came next,” he said.
What came next happened at the local Illinois Lottery prize center, where he and his wife went to claim the thousand. “We told the staff that I won a thousand dollars,” he said. “One of the workers smiled and said 'Sir, you actually won a million dollars.' I was in complete shock. My wife even started tearing up.” When the news reached the family, nobody believed it at first. “Both my son-in-law and eldest daughter said, 'Get out of here, are you sure?'” he recalled with a laugh. “I told them, 'As sure as I am a year older.'”
The plans came quickly: the couple's annual winter trip to Florida to visit family, a new car, a golf cart, and a cruise to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary and the kids' birthdays. “We'll be going on a cruise to celebrate our 40th anniversary and my kids' birthdays,” he said. “I told them 'Dad's paying.'” Gas N Wash, for selling the winning ticket, collects a $10,000 selling bonus — 1% of the prize.
And a note on the fine print every windfall story should carry: a $1 million headline is not a $1 million check. Illinois withholds 24% for federal taxes and 4.95% for the state right at claim time, and the final federal bill on a prize this size lands near the 37% bracket — leaving roughly $620,000 to $710,000 depending on filing status and deductions. Still life-changing. Still the best birthday envelope anyone at that party will ever receive. Check your tickets carefully — and then check them again.
The lesson: The best gift you can open twice: first as a party favor, then as a life-changing check at the prize center.
Source: original reporting · How we source stories