The man, who lives in Hesse, western Germany, had bought the ticket on March 29 but forgot all about it until six months later when he found what was in hsi jacket pocket
There’s a time of year when you can finally ditch your winter coat and welcome the warmer weather[1] – but such a simple act doesn’t usually result in frantic public pleas.
However, that’s precisely what occurred in March when a German dad stashed his jacket in the family wardrobe, only to make a startling discovery when he donned it again last week.
His coat was out of sight for six months, during which Lotto Hessen was reaching out to media outlets because the winner of a whopping €15.3m (£13.4m) had not come forward to claim the life-altering prize[2], something that typically happens within a fortnight of the draw.
The lottery[3] company spent half a year hunting for the elusive winner and even resorted to posting notices in retail shops.
If you haven’t already figured it out, the winning combination, including the bonus number, was scribbled on a receipt tucked away in the pocket of the forgotten coat.
The father, who resides in Hesse, western Germany, purchased the ticket on March 29 after placing an anonymous bet without a customer card and then stowed the lottery ticket away.
And if you’re thinking he didn’t catch wind of the public calls for the unclaimed ticket, you’d be mistaken….
Incredibly, the man caught the news but remained clueless that he was the mystery winner, having completely forgotten about his impromptu purchase all those months ago.
He recalled: “I heard on the radio that they were looking for the winner and I thought to myself: ‘How stupid can you be not to claim such a prize?'”
A spokesperson for Lotto Henson said: “Out of sight, out of mind. Unbelievable, but that must have been how it happened.”
But when the colder weather returned, the bloke finally retrieved his jacket from storage, and that’s when he discovered the lottery ticket.
He said: “When I checked the numbers on my mobile phone and saw the prize money, I was completely shocked.”
Having finally stepped forward to claim his millions, the mystery man from the Rhine-Main area revealed he plans to splash out on a new sofa for the living room and ensure his wife and children have everything they could ever need.
The lotto spokesperson added: “We actually wanted to search for you again with posters and through the media in the next few days.”
But after claiming the windfall, there will be no need for further appeals, and the couple have vowed to keep their identities under wraps.