WASHINGTON — What would you do if you won $1 million? Well first, you’d probably realize that you’ve won.
That’s not the case with Arthur Martin, of Alexandria, Virginia, who spent more than a week without noticing that one of the four Powerball tickets he bought would be his ticket to being $1 million richer.
“I never expected it to be a winner,” he said. “I never checked the numbers.”
Enticed by the $700 million jackpot set for an Aug. 23 drawing, Martin bought his tickets at a Parkway Express gas station in Lorton, Virginia, even though he says he doesn’t really play often, according to a news release from Virginia Lottery News.
“It was surreal. I thought I was just donating to the Virginia Lottery education fund,” said Martin.
The winning numbers were 6-7-16-23-26, and the Powerball number was 4. His ticket was the only one in Virginia to match the first five numbers.
And if it took him long enough to notice his winning ticket, Martin also said it took him some time to process it all after.
“Took four days to get over the initial shock,” he said.
Martin plans on paying off some debts with the money he won and enjoying the upcoming holiday season with his family.
