Faramarz Lahijani’s life changed forever when he won a staggering $197.5 million in the Mega Millions lottery. However, his joy was short-lived, as he now finds himself embroiled in a lawsuit against the California Lottery. Lahijani claims that he is entitled to double the amount he initially won, citing a peculiar detail that he believes supports his case.
The saga began when Lahijani purchased two lottery tickets from a gas station in Encino, California. He publicly claimed his winnings in June, but now alleges that he lost the second ticket, which he believes would have entitled him to an additional $197.5 million. With the deadline to claim the winnings from the missing ticket looming, Lahijani filed a lawsuit against the California Lottery on December 6.
The lawsuit asserts that Lahijani is entitled to the entirety of the jackpot, citing the fact that he had already submitted one matching ticket on time. The numbers that secured Lahijani’s win were chosen by his children, and he claims to have been using them for decades. While lottery officials acknowledge that it is unusual for two tickets with the same numbers to be purchased at the same store, they maintain that it is not unheard of.
Carolyn Becker, a spokesperson for the California Lottery, noted that there could be various explanations for the unusual coincidence. She added that the lottery’s vetting process is designed to ensure that only legitimate winners can claim their prizes. As the lawsuit unfolds, one thing is certain – Lahijani’s chances of winning the jackpot twice are incredibly slim, with odds of one in 302,575,350.
While Lahijani awaits the outcome of his lawsuit, the gas station that sold him the winning tickets is celebrating its own windfall of over $1.9 million. As for Lahijani, only time will tell if his gamble will pay off, and he will walk away with an astonishing $400 million.
