"Persistence Pays Off: Wins $1.4 Billion Lottery After 30 Years Using the Same Numbers"

Received Numbers from Fortune-Telling Machine Featured in the Movie "Big"
Repeatedly Used for Lottery Purchases... Finally Wins Second Prize

A man in the United States has become a sensation after winning $1 million (approximately 1.4 billion won) in the lottery, having persistently purchased tickets for 30 years using the "lucky numbers" he received from a fortune-telling machine.

According to CBS and other U.S. media outlets on May 15 (local time), Steven Hughesken, 56, a resident of Fraser, Michigan, recently won the second prize of $1 million in the latest Powerball drawing.

The photo is not directly related to the content of the article. Pixabay

Hughesken revealed that he has been using the numbers he received from a "Zoltar" fortune-telling machine during a visit to Las Vegas about 30 years ago as his lottery numbers ever since. He said that each time he purchased a lottery ticket, including Powerball, he repeatedly used the numbers printed by the machine at that time.

The numbers he matched in this drawing were 24, 29, 32, 49, and 63. By correctly picking all five white ball numbers, he won the $1 million prize.

Hughesken said, "I found out I had won after checking an email from the lottery authorities the morning after the Powerball drawing," adding, "I shouted to my wife, 'Is this real?' I don't think it will feel real until I actually receive the check."

He stated that he plans to use the winnings to pay off his car and mortgage loans, for travel, and as retirement funds.

The Zoltar machine Hughesken mentioned is an automated fortune-telling device that dispenses a slip of paper with a fortune and lucky numbers when a coin is inserted. Featuring a large, turbaned figure that moves and delivers prophecies, it has long been popular in American amusement parks, arcades, and casinos.

Zoltar in the movie "Big." IMDb

Zoltar, in particular, gained worldwide fame after appearing in the 1988 film "Big" starring Tom Hanks. In the movie, a young boy makes a wish to "become an adult" at a Zoltar machine installed in an amusement park, and then experiences life as an adult. Since then, Zoltar has become a symbol in American pop culture as a "wish-granting fortune-telling machine."

Online, people have reacted by saying, "His persistence in keeping the same numbers for 30 years is incredible," and "It's a real-life story straight out of a movie."

Meanwhile, Powerball, one of America's most popular lottery games, is sold in 45 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings are held every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday, and each ticket costs $2.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.