Man Wins $17 Million Lottery, Keeps Secret From Wife Until Claiming Prize
Translated & summarized from Maariv by baba
An Israeli man won 64 million shekels in the lottery but concealed the news from his wife until he collected the prize. He asked her to accompany him to the lottery office for what he called an important meeting. The winner, who donates to charity, plans to significantly increase his contributions following the windfall. He believes happiness is independent of wealth.
The story in 4 lines · by baba
- A man won 64 million shekels in the Israeli lottery.
- He kept the massive win a secret from his wife until claiming the prize.
- The winner plans to significantly increase his charitable donations.
- He believes happiness is not dependent on having money.
A man in Israel has won a staggering 64 million shekels (approximately $17 million USD) in the national lottery, but chose to keep the life-changing news from his wife until he had officially claimed the prize. The winner, who buys lottery tickets only when jackpots are particularly high, described the moment he discovered his winnings as surreal. After scanning his ticket on the Mifal HaPayis (national lottery) app, he saw the sum and initially doubted his eyes, taking a photo to confirm.
He decided to maintain the secret for a few hours, even asking his wife to accompany him to the lottery headquarters for what he described as an important meeting, asking her to wish him luck. He planned to reveal the true reason for their visit only after completing the necessary procedures. The winner also shared a personal story, noting that he had recently lost his father and had purchased a Torah scroll in his memory. He typically buys tickets for 66 shekels, choosing numbers at random, a practice that led to this extraordinary win.
Known for his regular charitable contributions to those in need, the man stated that one of his first decisions after the win is to significantly increase the scope of his donations. Despite the immense wealth and new possibilities, he emphasized a personal philosophy: "The most important thing is to be happy whether you have money or not."
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