In a surprising turn of events, a German man recently rediscovered his winter coat after six months, only to find a forgotten lottery ticket hidden in its pocket. The ticket, purchased on a whim without a customer card, turned out to be the winning one for a €15.3m (£13.4m) prize.
The lottery company had been searching for the mysterious winner for half a year, resorting to public notices in retail stores. The winning numbers, including a bonus number, were scribbled on a receipt tucked away in the coat pocket.
Despite hearing about the unclaimed prize on the radio, the man remained oblivious to the fact that he was the sought-after winner. It wasn’t until he retrieved his jacket from storage upon the return of colder weather that he discovered the life-changing lottery ticket.
Upon realizing his newfound fortune, the man has decided to remain anonymous and plans to use the money to provide for his family, including splurging on a new sofa for their living room. The lottery spokesperson expressed disbelief at the situation, noting that they had intended to continue the search for the winner through posters and media appeals before the man came forward to claim his prize.