In a stroke of astonishing luck, a Massachusetts man named Paul Corcoran won not one, but two $1 million prizes in a single night after mistakenly purchasing two identical lottery tickets for the same Powerball drawing.
Corcoran, a resident of Fitchburg, explained that he initially went into a store to purchase a $2 multi-draw Powerball ticket covering seven consecutive draws. After reviewing his ticket later, he mistakenly believed that the final draw date had already passed, and assuming it was no longer valid, he went on to buy another $2 ticket from a different location just minutes later.
Unbeknownst to him, both tickets included the July 9 drawing—and as fate would have it, both turned out to be winners. When the winning numbers were announced, both tickets matched all five white balls: 5, 9, 25, 28, and 69, earning $1 million each. He only missed the red Powerball number, which was 5, narrowly missing out on the massive $217 million jackpot.
Corcoran has reportedly played Powerball using the same set of random numbers for several years. He said that the duplicate win was never part of any strategy but simply an honest mistake. The accidental double purchase turned into a multi-million-dollar blessing that shocked both him and those around him.
He visited the Massachusetts State Lottery headquarters to officially claim his total prize of $2 million. His incredible story has since made headlines, with many praising his luck and consistency in sticking with his chosen numbers.
The two winning tickets were purchased at different stores — one at Market Basket in Fitchburg and the other at Country Farms in nearby Leominster. As a result of selling the winning tickets, each retailer will receive a $10,000 bonus from the state lottery commission.
According to officials, these are the first-ever $1 million Powerball prizes to be sold in both Fitchburg and Leominster, making the event even more historic for the two Massachusetts towns.
Corcoran, now $2 million richer, said he is still processing the surreal experience. When asked what he plans to do with the winnings, he mentioned taking some time to plan carefully, while also expressing gratitude for the unexpected twist of fate that led to the life-changing moment.[/p>