At first, the current winner of a USD 40 million jackpot says he could not consider he received the lottery — in spite of everything, he purchased the ticket on April Fools’ Day.

”I believed it was a joke,” stated Earl Lape, a 61-year-old retired mechanic from Dubuque, Iowa. Only after confirming his Lotto America ticket with a comfort retailer clerk was he satisfied he received the large prize, based on the Iowa Lottery.

”I laughed. I believed it was April Fools,” Earl Lape stated after claiming his prize on the Iowa Lottery headquarters in Clive. Lape opted to take his winnings in money, which for the drawing was USD 21.28 million. The USD 40 million prize was for many who take their winnings in an annuity, paid over 29 years.

Lotto America is performed in 13 states and provides smaller prizes than the video games Powerball and Mega Millions. But it additionally has a lot better odds — 1 in 26 million — of profitable the jackpot.

Lape stated he intends to make use of the cash to assist his household and also will make donations to profit youngsters with medical points.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse workers and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)