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After years of buying lottery tickets each week, San Jose, California resident Edward Lojewski bought a Mega Millions ticket that had every single winning number.
Lojewski explained that he had a Friday routine that included going out to breakfast, visiting friends, and then stop at a nearby 7-Eleven store to purchase exactly two Quick Picks tickets for the Mega Millions, Powerball®, and Super Lotto Plus drawings.
In October, when the jackpot had rolled over 21 times and was up to $494 million, Lojewski was especially hopeful about winning. For some reason, he didn't watch the drawing or check online to see if he won. It wasn't until he was watching the news the following day where that something clicked. “I watched the news and saw the winning retailer and knew that was where I bought my tickets,” explained Lojewski, who decided to check his tickets after seeing that. “As soon as I saw I matched the first two numbers, I knew I won.”
Since another player in Florida also purchased a ticket with all of the winnering numbers, Lojewski receives half of the jackpot - $247 million.
Lojewski plans to invest the money and take care of his family with the winnings. In an interview he said, “I’m at the point in my life where I don’t need toys. I have everything I need,” he said. “I’ve been married a long time, but I love my wife more and more every day!”