An administrative mistake in the lottery process enabled a Virginia woman, named Virginia Fike, to win the state lottery twice. Ms. Fike purchased two lottery tickets at a local gas station when the clerk accidentally gave her two identical tickets for the same lottery. Ms. Fike intended to purchase two tickets, one for the Powerball lottery ticket and the other for the Mega Millions jackpot. Instead, she received two tickets for the Powerball lottery. Her winning numbers were based upon her personal information and her parents’. At the end of the lottery selection, all of her number matched twice except for the Powerball number. Ms. Fike won $2 million, or $1.4 million after taxes.
See Virginia Fike From Berryville, Virginia, Wins $1M Powerball Lottery Twice In One Day, Huffington Post, Apr. 23, 2012.
Special thanks to David S. Luber (Attorney at law, Florida Probate Attorney Wills and Estates Law Firm) for bringing this article to my attention.
