No More Hoax: The Real $40 Million Lotto Winner Comes to Collect the Prize
The drama surrounding the lottery draw, which reached the maximum prize of 40 million shekels, is coming to an end, this time with the real ticket in hand. A day after learning that he had won the huge prize, the happy winner arrived this morning at Mifal HaPais headquarters to claim it. The collection of the prize by the winner puts an end to singer Osher Biton's claim that he was the one who won.
As recalled, only recently Biton, a former contestant on The Next Star for Eurovision, claimed on his Instagram account that he was the big winner, and even shared a story with a photographed ticket and wrote, "Apparently I am a millionaire, I didn't understand." But a quick check of the ticket showed that it was just graphic editing and a prank. Now, the Mifal HaPais announcement and the details of the real winner make it clear beyond any doubt, it was not Biton.
The real winner is a man in his 50s who works in public service. Contrary to reports online, he says he habitually plays the same numbers faithfully. The big win caught him completely by surprise while running errands in his place of residence: "Before I made a financially significant decision, I spontaneously decided to check the ticket I had submitted," the winner shared excitedly. "When I saw that there was a single winner and started checking the numbers, I saw that all the numbers were mine. Just to be safe, I checked the ticket again and again. The joy was enormous."
The first person he shared the life-changing news with was his brother. Despite the 40 million shekels, before tax of course, which will allow him to travel anywhere in the world and help his immediate family, the winner made clear that he intends to keep his feet on the ground and continue his routine, at work and with his family. A major part of his future plans concerns philanthropy: "I was always raised to help others, and that is what I believe in. I am glad that now I will be able to help even more," the winner said, ending his remarks at Mifal HaPais with a wish: "I wish us all peace and tranquility."
