$5.9M Jackpot Found in a Forgotten Pair of Pants

A New Jersey man just turned an old pair of pants into a multi-million-dollar surprise—$5.9 million richer after uncovering a forgotten lottery ticket stuffed in a pocket.

The player had no idea he was sitting on a jackpot. It all started when the New Jersey Lottery announced an unclaimed prize from the May 22, 2025 Pick-6 drawing. That caught his attention, especially since he was a regular at the store where the ticket was bought. Staff there didn’t know the winner but suggested he recheck any old tickets lying around.

What followed was a full-on home search—drawers, corners, and anything he might’ve missed. Eventually, he worked through his closet and started checking every pair of pants he owned.

That’s when it happened.

Inside a crumpled pocket, he found the long-lost Pick-6 ticket from last May—barely saved from expiration, just eight days to spare when he went to claim it on May 14.

According to New Jersey Lottery, the winning ticket was originally sold at Eisenhower Exxon. The winning numbers: 20, 21, 30, 31, 42, 44.

Lottery officials reminded players to double-check old tickets, noting that while huge jackpots rarely go unclaimed, smaller wins often sit forgotten in pockets, drawers, and old clothes for months—or even years.