The man narrowly missed the Mega Millions jackpot on Dec. 26.
A Kentucky man nearly hit the Mega Millions jackpot but still walked away with a seven-figure win.
He won $2 million on a Mega Millions ticket from the Dec. 26 drawing after first scanning another ticket that earned him just $50.
The winning ticket was purchased at a Racetrac gas station on Bizzack Boulevard in Frankfort, according to a news release from Kentucky Lottery officials.
The Frankfort resident, who chose to remain anonymous, selected numbers that were meaningful to his family, including birthdates, CW affiliate WKYT reported.
He was just one number short of winning the estimated $125 million jackpot.
Instead, the ticket matched all five white balls — 9, 19, 31, 63 and 64 — qualifying for a $2 million prize under the game’s 2X Multiplier option, lottery officials said.
According to WKYT, the man returned to the store a few days after the drawing to scan his tickets.
“The first ticket I scanned was $50,” he said. “Then I scanned the next one and it said $2 million. It took me a second to digest it.”
He told lottery officials he left the store immediately afterward without checking the rest of his tickets.
“I wasn’t expecting it,” he said. “I dreamed that I would win. It was a shock to me, although I was hoping it would happen one day.”
After a few days, the man came forward to claim his prize, WKYT reported.
After taxes, he took home a check for $1,450,000 and said he plans to use the winnings to travel.
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