by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman
December 19, 2023
A San Francisco Airport employee discovers he won a $20M lottery after scratching off his ticket during his lunch break.
An airport employee at the San Francisco International Airport may be looking at new heights. During his lunch break, Durwin Hickman bought a lucky lottery ticket at a liquor store and instantly became a millionaire.
A press release by the California Lottery detailed the extraordinary event. Before starting his shift as a skycap, Hickman bought the $30 Set For Life! Scratchers ticket. While casually scratching the ticket, he noticed the penultimate spot revealed the word “LIFE,” earning himself the top prize of $20 million for that game. With this win, Hickman has gone from assisting travelers with their luggage before checking into their flights to potentially never having to work again.
“It was the biggest rush I have had in my life,” shared the Bay Area employee on the news, relaying that this is not the first time he has won big in the lottery system. Though not as sizable as a multimillion-dollar check, Hickman has previously won $1,000 on a lucky strike. As for what he plans to do with the money, his wife may be the ultimate winner, after Hickman said his “whole thing” is to purchase a home for his love.
The “LIFE” symbol automatically grants the grand prize winner $800,000 annually for 25 years. With this new and improved salary, Hickman can easily make his wife’s dream of homeownership come true.
As for the additionally lucky store that sold him the winning ticket, L&M Liquor in Hayward, California, will also receive a hefty bonus of $100,000 for producing a winner.
Seven others won substantial monetary prizes, ranging from $5M to $1M, while trying their luck at the scratch game. However, only Hickman earned the coveted prize that has him set for life.
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