An Illinois man has won $1 million in the Powerball lottery after a chance meeting with his grandmother at a petrol station. The anonymous winner, who now calls himself 'Grandma is my lucky charm,' purchased the winning ticket during his lunch break on 11 October.
The man initially went to a Road Ranger gas station to buy a ticket for the $240 million jackpot draw. Upon arrival, he spotted a car that looked like his grandmother's and found her inside the store. After a brief reunion, he bought his ticket and later discovered it matched all five white ball numbers: 13, 16, 18, 20, and 27.
'I scanned the ticket, and it said 'You won $1,000,004.' I didn't believe it, so I scanned it again. That's when I started screaming and hyperventilating,' the winner recalled. He immediately called his grandmother, who was initially sceptical. 'I checked the numbers manually online, and everything matched—except the Powerball,' he added.
The winner plans to share his windfall with his grandmother, whom he credits as his good luck charm, and intends to buy a new car. The gas station will also receive a $10,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.
This marks the 12th Powerball prize of $1 million or more won by Illinois Lottery players in 2025. The news follows a similar story from Michigan, where a 33-year-old man won $1 million after purchasing a ticket left on a counter by another customer.
