Oregon man discovers $8.4 million lottery jackpot win a month late

An Oregon man became a millionaire on Jan. 24 — yet didn’t realize it for nearly a full month. 

David Schultze, 68, of Milwaukie, Oregon, bought a ticket for the Oregon’s Game Megabucks drawing that was held on Jan. 24, 2024, said the Oregon Lottery in a Feb. 27 press release.

After the numbers were drawn, Schultze’s ticket won him the jackpot of $8.4 million — but he did not actually check his ticket until Feb. 23, the lottery said. 

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Once he realized he’d won, “he spent the whole weekend in shock and claimed his prize on Monday at Oregon Lottery’s Wilsonville office,” said the Oregon Lottery. 

Schultze told the Oregon Lottery that he is not a frequent player, but that he buys a ticket when the jackpot is “getting up there.” 

A retiree, Schultze said that he did not have any “big splurges” planned for his newfound fortune, but said he would invest most of the money. 

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The store where Schultze bought the winning ticket, a Safeway in the city of Gladstone, received $84,000 from the Oregon Lottery as a bonus, said the release. 

While it was relatively unusual for a person to wait a full month before seeing if they won the lottery, winners of prizes for the Oregon Lottery have one year to claim their prize, said their website. 

“The Oregon Lottery recommends that you sign the back of your ticket to ensure you can claim any prize,” they said. 

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With Schultze’s win, the Oregon’s Game Megabucks’ jackpot was re-set to $1 million. 

It is presently at $2.4 million, said the Oregon Lottery’s website. 

The Oregon Lottery was created in 1984, and began selling tickets on April 25, 1985, said its website. 

Since then, the lottery has raised more than $15.5 billion for various programs in the state of Oregon, the organization said.

“Lottery dollars fund education, economic growth, state parks, natural habitats, Outdoor School and veteran services,” said the Oregon Lottery’s website.

FOX Business reached out to the Oregon Lottery for additional comment on Schultze’s win. 

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