Michigan Woman Wins $100,000 a Year for Life in Lottery Surprise
A routine morning lottery account check turned into a life-changing surprise for a 71-year-old Ingham County woman.
The Michigan Lottery winner, who has chosen to remain anonymous, initially thought she had won just $2,000. But after taking a closer look at her account on August 21, she realized she had actually landed a $100,000-a-year prize for life.
She had logged in to complete the Michigan Lottery’s “Daily Spin to Win” promotion when a pop-up revealed her big win from the previous night’s drawing.
She Matched All Five White Balls
The woman purchased her ticket online through MichiganLottery.com and matched all five white balls from the August 20 drawing:
- 01
- 16
- 26
- 40
- 44
She won the second-tier prize in the new Millionaire For Life game. Matching the separate Millionaire Ball would have earned the top prize of $1 million a year for life.
The Ingham County winner is only the second player to claim the $100,000-a-year prize since the game launched in February. The first was a Charlevoix County woman who won in May with a ticket purchased at a Mancelona gas station.
She Chose $100,000 a Year Over $2.2 Million
The winner had a major decision to make: take a $2.2 million lump sum or receive guaranteed annual payments.
She chose the steady income, opting for $100,000 every year for at least 20 years or for life, whichever is longer.
For now, she plans to use part of the money to finish renovating her home and put the rest into savings.
Millionaire For Life costs $5 per play. Players select five numbers from 1 to 58 plus a Millionaire Ball from 1 to 5, with drawings held daily.
What started as an ordinary morning login quickly became an unforgettable moment—and a prize worth $100,000 every year for life.