Yahoo Lifestyle Co-Worker Jokes That Man Skipped Work Because He Won the Lottery. Turns Out, He Really Did!
Michael Chavez reportedly received a million-dollar prize in the Mega Millions lottery after a co-worker joked that he would win
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Mega Millions stock photoElection night was particularly special for one lottery player in Southern California.
Michael Chavez found out he won $1.2 million in the California Lottery Mega Millions on Nov. 5, 2024, after a co-worker joked to him about winning the draw, reported NBC4 Los Angeles and The Sacramento Bee.
“I actually woke up in the middle of the night to check the election results to see who won for president, not Mega Millions,” Chavez told the California Lottery, per the outlets.
“I went back to bed without looking at my ticket,” he added.
The next morning, Chavez texted work to say he would not be coming in that day — and a co-worker jokingly responded that it was because he'd won the lottery, NBC4 Los Angeles reported.
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Mega Millions ticket stock imageRelated: Winning Mega Millions Ticket for $1.2 Billion Bought at California Gas Station
“He kidded me if the reason I wasn’t at work was because I had won the million,” Chavez reportedly said.
He added that his co-worker “even jokingly congratulated me” and sent him a screenshot of the Mega Millions results via text, per NBC4 Los Angeles.
Chavez finally decided to check his lottery ticket and then discovered that he'd matched five out of the six winning numbers — winning him a prize of $1,214,818, according to the outlet.
“I could not believe my eyes,” the lucky winner reportedly said. “I’m so excited and extremely grateful.”
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Mega Millions tickets stock imageChavez credited his co-worker for reminding him to check his winning lottery ticket, which he purchased at a Lake Liquor store in Lakewood, a 20-mile drive southeast from Los Angeles, per The Sacramento Bee.
The store received a bonus of over $6,000 for selling the winning ticket, KTLA reported.
“I’ll never forget election night or especially that text,” said Chavez, per NBC4 Los Angeles.
PEOPLE has contacted the California Lottery for comment.
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