20-year-old wins $450m lottery prize and updates Facebook status to 'Oh. My. God.'

'I look forward to the future'

Chelsea Ritschel
in New York
Friday 12 January 2018 23:59 GMT
Comments
(Facebook Shane Missler)
(Facebook Shane Missler)

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A 20-year-old man from Florida's Gulf Coast is officially the luckiest man in the world after winning a $451m Mega Millions lottery jackpot on Friday.

Shane Missler, of Port Richey, purchased his winning ticket with money he had won from a scratch-off lottery ticket.

And if you are wondering whether the winning numbers mean anything to Missler - they didn't.

Missler purchased the winning ticket at a 7-Eleven convenience store in Port Richey, using the "Quick Pick" option - meaning that numbers were randomly chosen.

But despite the astronomical chances of actually winning, Missler claims he had “a feeling” on the night of the drawing that he would win.

And win he did - the fourth largest jackpot in the game’s history.

Missler’s winning ticket, with the five winning numbers and a "Mega Ball" number, was drawn on January 5, making him the only winner in the nationwide contest.

Taking to Facebook just minutes after the drawing, Missler updated his status to: “Oh. My. God.”

Opting for the one-time payment option, Missler received a payment of nearly $282m, according to Florida lottery officials.

However, the 20-year-old claims that he won’t make any rash decisions when it comes to spending his new fortune.

According to a statement, he said: "I'm only 20, but I hope to use it to pursue a variety of passions, help my family and do some good for humanity.

“Although I’m young I've had a crash course this week in financial management and I feel so fortunate to have this incredible wealth and team behind me.

“'I intend to take care of my family, have some fun along the way and cement a path for financial success so that I can leave a legacy far into the future.”

Prior to his big win, Missler worked as a Verifications Specialist at Universal Background Screening, Inc., according to his Facebook.

However, he has since quit his job - obviously.

The winning numbers were 28, 30, 39, 59, and 70 with a "Mega Ball" of 10.

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