The man, who has not been named, won the Eurojackpot prize of €120 million but did not come forward to claim his winnings until two weeks later

Michael Moran Audience Writer and Maria Ortega

13:50, 12 Oct 2025

Hanau, Germany - June 25, 2023: Logo of EuroJackpot German Lotto kiosk.The identity of the man remains secret. (Image: RobsonPL via Getty Images)

Most of us would be desperate to get our mitts on a massive lottery win, but one fortunate German ticket-holder who scooped a staggering €120 million in the Eurojackpot didn’t even trouble himself to turn up and claim his winnings until a full fortnight later.

The instant millionaire, whose identity remains a closely guarded secret, left everyone stunned by failing to claim his prize immediately.

According to a spokesperson, the winner revealed that he was in no hurry, choosing instead to take a step back and allow the scale of his newfound fortune to properly register before making any rash decisions.

The man eventually turned up at the organiser’s headquarters on October 7, where he stayed for roughly an hour.

Lottery representatives described a man who remained utterly calm throughout the entire process, and after verifying that his ticket contained the winning numbers, his victory in the draw was officially confirmed, reports the Mirror.

Whilst the cash will be transferred next week to the account nominated by the winner, the company will first carry out a comprehensive check of the transaction.

The spokesperson added that the new millionaire was “very reserved” and remained tight-lipped about his future plans or what he planned to do with his colossal windfall.

Before finally hearing from the winner, the organising company had originally assumed that the ticket belonged to a casual player.

They had even started to contemplate launching a search campaign using posters and advertisements in the area where it had been purchased. The winning ticket was bought for a total of €19.

Under Eurojackpot rules, the lucky winner had a three-year window to claim the prize before it expired.

Yet, his decision to take some time to ponder before stepping forward demonstrates a particularly composed and mature approach to such a life-altering event.

The Eurojackpot grand prize kicks off at €10,000,000 and can roll over up to a whopping €120,000,000. Tickets can be snapped up at outlets in Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Greece as well as Germany.

Participating in Eurojackpot costs €2 per line in most of these territories except in Lithuania where it includes a compulsory additional game called ‘The Joker’ that bumps up the price to €3 per line, in Greece where it’s priced at €2.50 per line, and in Slovenia where it also costs €2.50 per line.

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