He forgot to scratch NC lottery ticket for weeks. When he remembered, his life changed
A 21-year-old construction worker from North Carolina is the 27th millionaire in a lottery scratcher game.
Bryan Lopez-Muruato from Clayton, a town about 16 miles southeast of Raleigh, bought a Millionaire Maker ticket from a convenience store – then forgot about it for two weeks, according to lottery officials.
When Lopez-Muruato finally scratched his ticket on March 26, he couldn’t believe how much he won.
“I just kept rereading the ticket,” Lopez-Muruato said when he realized he won the $1 million lottery prize, according to a news release.
Lopez-Muruato works as a construction worker for his father’s concrete company – but he now plans to invest in that company and eventually start a business of his own.
“I’m really excited,” Lopez-Muruato said. “This really opens opportunities for me and for my family.”
The man chose the lump sum of $600,000 and collected $426,069 after taxes on March 28.
The Millionaire Maker game launched in March 2021, according to lottery officials, and Lopez-Muruato became the 27th winner of the $1 million prize.
This story was originally published March 29, 2022 at 3:19 PM with the headline "He forgot to scratch NC lottery ticket for weeks. When he remembered, his life changed."
